Redemption
by Valkyrim
Summary: Overwatch is reinstated after an apparition was seen murdering ex-operatives. The very same apparition appears on Lena Farron's doorstep and collapses. Only it's not an apparition. It's a human. A human that was a decade dead. What the hell is going on? Rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Yoooo first Overwatch story. I apologize if any details or names are incorrect during the duration of this story, and leave a review if you liked. I do not know how often i'll be able to update, but I _will_ be working on this as much as possible.**

* * *

Lena Farron was only eighteen when she first joined Overwatch. Her work at first was just to assist where ever she was needed. But when she expressed an interest in weapon and medical technology, she was sent to work with Angela Zeigler in the medical engineering department, and helped develop weapons at the same time. After about a year or two, she built her own combat suit. Ingrained into every stitch was the ability to teleport, and to consolidate massive energy into blasts or into small orbs to cause damage over a wide radius. This earned her the nickname, Giga.

Lena enjoyed her work at Overwatch. Working with her colleagues, regardless of occasional disagreements, was something that kept her interested in her job. Everything was going smoothly…until one day it all went wrong. An operation went south that ended in the deaths of the top operatives in the organization, and negative opinions of the general public forced the rest of Overwatch to sink. The rest of the operatives and employees either became mercenaries or dissolved into the background, never to be seen again. Lena retired to her home in Washington State, working as the senior medical advisor for the whole state. It was true peace for her for a while.

She made herself comfortable in her favorite chair, a sigh making itself known after another stressful yet fruitful day of work was now behind her. Her eyes had closed, trying her best to remove as much stress as possible before she went to shower and change. Her muscles were tight, and aching. What she wouldn't give for a massage right now…

Aching hands reached for the remote to turn on the television, the news popping up on the screen with a special report. A black apparition was floating around, causing general carnage all over the world. Old Overwatch memorabilia and weapons were being stolen on top of everything else. As ironic as it sounds, Overwatch was needed now more than ever. But the public—and the government—made the organization illegal. Lena sighed, turning off the television and getting up from her chair to head upstairs to her bedroom. She turned on the lights, moving over to her drawers and reaching in to pull out the necessary clothing before disappearing into the bathroom, turning on the hot water.

* * *

It was quiet in the old Overwatch headquarters. Thick, calloused fingers tapped on the keys of the keyboard before occasionally pausing to push up black rimless glasses up to his face. He wanted to know what was going on. What was that apparition that was killing ex-Overwatch operatives? Did it have to do with the robbery of Overwatch memorabilia? So many questions, but no answers. It was frustrating for Winston. Still, he kept looking for something, anything that might even give him a clue as to what was happening.

"All of these reports, and we still can't find a single shred of a clue _anywhere._ " He sighed, his frantic typing coming to a halt and his fingers tapping gently on the table. "There has to be something, anything we can get our hands on to crack this…"

"This is something that cannot be handled by one person, Winston." The melancholy yet fluid voice belonged to an AI called Athena. "There are people who could assist you, although it would be illegal to reinstate them."

Winston sighed, and stared at the initialization protocol. She was right, but if the government intervened and arrested them…what could he say? What could he do? The consequences would rest on his shoulders and his alone if he pressed the button. But this was for the greater good. Damn the consequences now. After second guessing himself for a few minutes more, Winston pressed the button.

Overwatch was reinstated. Just until this threat would be dealt with.

"...You're right, Athena. We need all the help we can get."

* * *

Lena was sitting on her bed now, dressed in her most comfortable nightwear and her hair wrapped in a silk wrap. Just as she was comfortable enough to finally sleep, her phone vibrated vigorously. With a groan, she examined the screen. Light brown hues widened, unable to believe what was flashing across her screen. Was…Overwatch _really_ restarting? After a decade of inactivity? This had to be a joke, she wouldn't accept otherwise. Her eyes closed as she began to reminisce; remembering the fond moments she had shared with her best friends before everything was taken from her that day.

The fights between Jack and Gabriel, Ana constantly breaking them up and scolding them like children, Tracer constantly bugging and pranking her as a way to keep the workplace relaxed and fun, Angela coming to her on her breaks and talking about her day…it was the little things she missed, but she knew those would never return.

Lena's eyes snapped open when she heard something crash outside the front door downstairs. Cautiously, she rose up from her bed and walked down the stairs. Her hand stopped just before turning the knob to the door, her heart racing almost out of her chest. Still, she resumed grabbing the knob and opened the door. A black cloaked figure fell to the ground, completely limp. Lena moved to pick them up, but glancing at their figure…and the stains of blood on their coat and hands…that's when she remembered.

The special news report that aired a short while ago! This was the same…apparition? This thing was _human,_ wasn't it? How was it able to switch between its forms? Lena went to reach for a phone, to call the authorities and have them put this person behind bars for good. But at the same time…they looked like they would die from their injuries before anybody came to arrest them. Her conscience was split down the middle, and she was mildly panicking.

 _Oh god, oh god…what do I do? They'll die if I don't do anything, but…I'll get in trouble for aiding them…_

She debated it for a few more seconds before going against her better judgement. Lena dragged the body inside and laid them on the couch, examining the extent of their injuries before she did anything else. Shrapnel and bullets were embedded in their body, blood seeping out slowly. She cursed under her breath. Unfortunately, some of the wounds began to heal and the blood begun to coagulate. She would have to reopen them all and patch them up again.

She started to get to work, grabbing tweezers, peroxide, and some gauze. She couldn't do anything extensive because she didn't have the right equipment to do so. But even this small treatment would save their life…hopefully. Slowly, she started to pull out the embedded metals. Her eyes focused on the black ectoplasm that stuck to the sharp ends. Lena didn't know what it was, but she saved it in a small plastic sealable bag and continued. After she was sure that she removed all of the shrapnel and bullets, she cleaned the wounds and patched them up using an entire roll of gauze. With a sigh, she relaxed on the floor and looked at them. How did they find their way here? Why her place, specifically? Lena looked at the owl(?) mask covering their face. Maybe she can find out why while they were still unconscious. Her hands slowly reached for it, removing it and glancing at their face.

But as she did so, the mysterious person woke up with an inhuman roar echoing around the entire house. Lena dropped the mask onto their chest and scrambled back on her hands and knees, her eyes wide as she saw them stand back up to a vertical base like nothing even happened. The mask fell at their feet, their hands reaching for a pair of shotguns hidden in their coat and aimed it at her. She whimpered and looked at their face. Fear and grief overwhelmed her being in that moment. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes widened. He…was _dead._

"…G-Gabriel…?"


	2. Chapter 2

Crimson hues were staring a hole right into her, and she could barely form words on her tongue. Half of Gabriel's face looked inhuman…just plain _wrong._ So many questions filled her mind, the more she drunk in his form. Pain was evident in his misshapen features, but anger was too. His aim did not waver as he slowly closed the distance between them.

" _Do not…call me by that name again!"_ A shot rang out from one of his guns, and Lena rolled out of the way and towards a closet. _"My name…is Reaper!"_

Her hands fumbled at the closet door, but steadied herself enough to open it and grab what she needed. Her combat suit. She could hear his heavy and sluggish footsteps approaching. There was no time to change, but she could slip on the arms and legs at least. Just as he entered the hallway, he was blasted back with extreme force. His shotguns flew from his hands and on opposite sides of the living room. She took the opportunity to fully suit up and reenter the room.

"Gabriel please, I don't want to fight you!"

" _But I do."_ Reaper shifted into a wraith, then reappeared back onto a vertical base with the two shotguns in his hands once again. _"I want to see you wither and die, Giga."_

At least he knew who she was…vaguely. But it was still… _painful_ at the very least to see Gabriel struggling like this. But right now, there was nothing she could do to persuade him or to end this without fighting. She had to get him out and head straight to Overwatch headquarters. He fired off consecutive shots, but the buckshot missed their target by inches. Lena shot out another orb of power, which caused thick smoke to fill the room. She coughed, trying to regain her bearings and squinted so she could make out her surroundings.

"Gabriel, please. We don't have to do this!"

There was nothing but silence. She fumbled around, feeling for each piece of furniture to lead her around the room. She didn't notice the wraith form slowly moving around outside of her range of vision and materialized directly behind her. The sound of heavy footsteps alerted her to his presence, but she couldn't react in time. She cried out, the buckshot scraping along her armor and uncovered flesh. Lena turned around, holding her wounded side to stop the bleeding. It was strange…she was close enough for Gabriel to kill her in one shot, but instead he shot off the mark just enough to mildly injure her. She turned around slowly, gazing up into crimson hues. He was…shaking. His shotguns fell to the ground, clawed hands holding his head in agony.

 _What do I do…? What's happening…?_

Lena reached out to touch him, but he inched away from her. "I want to help you, okay?"

" _No, just…just stop!"_ A black aura engulfed his form as he let out another inhuman roar. Lena placed her arm in front in her face, the force and wind that generated from it pushing her back. When the aura cleared, Gabriel was no longer in the house. He wasn't even in the general area anymore. He was just…gone. After the adrenaline wore off, she fell to her knees. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked down at her gear. It just stung so much to see one of her friends like this, and not know _why._ It left her thinking about ten years ago.

Maybe what happened _wasn't_ an accident to begin with.

Lena sighed, pushing herself back up to a vertical base. Her house wasn't in total disarray, but she would have to clean up the loose buckshot and shells that was littered everywhere. She had a plane to catch to Switzerland, after all.

* * *

At the headquarters, the only people that managed to show up for now was Angela Ziegler and Genji Shimada. They made their way through to Winston after Athena scanned them. Everything was as they left it the last time they were here. It was just…dark and desolate now. A tomb for their memories…both good and bad.

"Hello Winston," Angela said, her genuine grin making itself known. "It's been a long time, no? Almost ten years…"

"Indeed Angela," Winston nodded towards her and gave them both a toothy grin. "It's good to see that the years have been kind to you both. Genji, how are your cybernetic implants holding up?"

"Quite well," Genji replied as he removed his visor. Dark brown hues now glowed green, thanks to said implants. "They've never worked better. It's all thanks to Ms. Ziegler, for putting me back together."

Angela chuckled. She felt responsible for Genji, in a way. She rebuilt majority of him, the only thing that remained human was his head. And even that was a challenge. Still, it was good to see him after all this time, including Winston. She would've liked to just stay and chat, but she knew he had dire news. Overwatch was reinstated, and he did so regardless of the possibilities of the government intervening. If that didn't speak urgent, she didn't know what did.

"What is the reason for having us show up here, Winston?"

"Well…you've heard about the reports of murders around the world, and the attempted robbery of Overwatch memorabilia. I think they're connected somehow."

"How so?" Genji inquired.

"…Because the murder victims are ex-Overwatch operatives."

Both Genji and Angela were in a state of shock, unable to say anything at the moment. When they finally found their voices, they asked for evidence. Winston led them upstairs, showing them the footage and the names the government had decided to disclose to the public. Majority of them were confirmed to be from Overwatch.

"I…can't believe this. Who would have a grudge against us? We've been decommissioned for a decade!" Angela was just in complete disbelief. She saw several of her friends die during the Omnic war, but she helped stop it. Thousands of people died, but billions were able to live because of their sacrifice. It was supposed to be a fair trade.

But apparently, someone thought that their decommissioning wasn't enough to atone for the blood already spilled.

"Dr. Ziegler's correct, Winston. We've done our job, but who wants to permanently erase us from history?" Genji couldn't think of a single person who could have it out for them. What was the point of going after retired soldiers and employees of a company that doesn't exist in the public eye anymore?

"That's the problem. I _don't_ know. And I can't find out _why_ alone."

* * *

Lena packed a suitcase full of as many clothes as possible, toiletries, and her combat gear. She straightened out her hoodie and leggings before getting on her flight to Switzerland. The scanning machines were always annoying, and the constant questioning was even worse. Security was to be tight, thanks to the murders and theft, but it was just an annoyance. This was usually all done in advance to avoid slowing down the traffic through the airports daily.

 _Gabriel's rampage sure has everyone shaken up. I wonder where he is now…_

She went through her final checkpoint before reaching her plane, showing her ticket to the attendant before boarding. She took her seat in her designated spot and quickly dozed off, where she began to lose herself in her memories once again before the plane even took off.

* * *

 _Her fingers were gingerly pressing down on each of the keys as she inputted data from her latest weapons test. On top of that, she had to help Angela with a new restorative formula for the soldiers to use out on the field. She barely had time to catch her breath. Lena broke away from the computer for just a moment to grab more files and resumed her frantic typing. She wanted to get the results on record by sunset so she could begin modifications the next day._

" _Recoil for the assault rifles needs to be reduced, Shotgun shell capacity has the capability to be increased, but at the cost of weight…wait, I can increase it and keep the weight down by eliminating the pump action—"_

 _Lena almost jumped out of her skin when she felt someone touch her shoulders. She sighed, and forced a weak smile. "Goddammit, Gabriel…."_

" _Sorry, niña. Was wondering if you were up for a little sparring, like you promised two days ago."_

 _She thought about it for a few seconds, then decided to take him up on his offer. It would be rude to refuse after making a promise. It might even take her mind off the ever growing workload that never seemed to cease. "…You're on, Reyes. Can't let that 'kid' comment go now."_

" _Never planned to. Come on."_

 _She followed Gabriel down the hallway, her hands firmly in her pockets. She would soon remove them, as he wasn't the type to play fair. If Lena were to be honest, neither was she. They fought to win, even when nothing was at stake. It's just how they were. Being off guard meant that she already lost this sparring contest._

" _There's more to this sparring thing, right?" She asked. She was just waiting for him to throw the first blow. "Is it because Jack was busy?"_

" _Nope." He stopped in front of a set of double doors, opening those and then opening the next set. Lena followed, and just like she suspected, Gabriel did not wait until she was inside the gym to throw the first punch. She easily dodged and rolled to a safe distance. "Thought I'd sharpen your skills every now and then. Even though you make weapons, you're still a soldier at the end of the day."_

 _Lena gulped, and assumed a fighting stance. He was right, of course. She created, modified, and tested new technology almost daily. She was even creating a new type of shotgun for him to use, one that had greatly reduced reloading time, reduced recoil, and more destructive power. The construction was coming along, and would probably be ready for testing by the end of the week._

" _Alright, I see your point." The distance between them closed, with Gabriel attempting to uppercut her. She narrowly dodged the hit, the speed at which he attempted to deliver said blow made her flinch and left her open. He exploited her weakness by stiffly kicking her in her torso. "U-Ugh…"_

 _A slight frown appeared on his face before he shrugged his shoulders and continued his assault. "C'mon, you can't hold back during this. You have to be unwavering, precise, and decisive in the heat of combat. One slip up could be your last."_

" _I know that…"_

" _Then show me!" Gabriel attempted a punch to the face this time, but it didn't land. He didn't notice Lena's parry, and he couldn't respond in time with a counterattack. He braced for her backhand, which surprisingly shook him to his core. He moved a few paces back, the metallic taste of blood lingering in his mouth from the hit. "…Nice counter. Keep that up, and you'll be fine."_

 _And she did. Gabriel was no longer able to land clean hits on her, and that included his powerful kicks. If Lena was capable of seeing inside of his mind, she would see him smiling proudly. She was evolving from a timid kid fresh from high school to a professional both in and out of her occupation. Ideally, he wished kids like her never had to step foot inside such a hostile environment, but since she's already here, she's_ _ **his**_ _responsibility._

 _Seeing Lena charge towards him left him with the opening he needed. He dodged her roundhouse kick, countering with a leg sweep that made her lose balance. As the exclamation point for the match, his strong arms wrapped around her neck to keep her upright while keeping her immobile with the hold. Lena kept her hands up so Gabriel's forearm couldn't smother her._

" _I win." The smug look on his face returned with a vengeance, and it annoyed her. After holding her in the hold for a few seconds, he let her go. "Not bad, but not enough to beat me, querida. Keep at it."_

 _Lena returned to a vertical base, rubbing at her neck but the smile on her face never faltered. Out the corner of her eye, she could see Jack and Ana looking on with interest and pride._

"… _Yes, sir."_

* * *

Lena returned to reality with a few quick blinks, and looked out the window. They were already in the air, and it was nighttime. It was a twelve to fourteen-hour flight, and a lot could happen while she was in the air. She reached into her tote bag, pulling it into her lap and examining the mask Gabriel left behind. There were small cracks all over it, and its white coloring soiled with spilled blood. Tears burned her eyes, threatening to drip down her face. She quickly wiped them away. She'll cry later, when all of this is finally over.


	3. Chapter 3

Gabriel's crimson eyes fluttered open and he tried to sit up, but he couldn't. His limbs and neck were shackled to the metal table. His visage shifted into something monstrous when he roared and pulled vigorously against the chains. Where was he, and was he doing here? The last thing he remembered was pulling the trigger on one of his shotguns, and searing pain erupting all over his body before he blacked out. But the woman he was facing…was so familiar. His eyes squinted as a bright spotlight was focused on his body alone. Overhead was a machine with a beam focused on his head. When did _that_ get there?

"Where am I?" He inquired out loud. "What _is_ this?"

When he looked down at the rest of his body, the same machine that pointed a beam at his head was pointing beams at his limbs and his torso. This only caused him to struggle more out of confusion and anger. In response to that, the beams activated, robbing Gabriel of his strength and paralyzing him. His cells were regenerating and dying at an accelerated rate, but this machine seems to be stabilizing that.

At least, for the moment.

"It…hurts." His eyelids started to become heavy. It was silent within the room, aside from the soft hum from the machine that seemed to be hovering above him. He blinked, and two people with masks were standing in the room as well. They tinkered with the machine and the beam intensity, which caused more pain. A mouth guard was inserted into his mouth, which he bit down on involuntarily. The pain all over his body felt like he was being held in a pool of flame overtime. He was yelling in agony not long after the beams seemed to be more in focus than they were before. Gabriel soon lost consciousness, his eyes rolling in the back of his head and his body completely limp. The two masked people in the room moved back as a third entered.

"Reinforce the failsafe we planted in him," They said. "And report any noteworthy mutations and behavior when it occurs."

"At once." The machine that hovered overhead was switched off and Gabriel was wheeled out of the room. In the corner, there was a woman with bluish tinted skin holding a sniper rifle. The masked person nodded towards the door and she was gone in less than a second.

* * *

Angela turned on the lights to her old office, the files and equipment left untouched from ten years ago. But that's not why she decided to sort through her old things. Bad memories lingered in here, ones that she's been trying to forget. Mostly because this is where her cell regeneration project started…and ended. She heaved a sigh, pulling out several manila folders and reexamining the papers within. Her fingers rested on her head and she continued reading. How could she do this to him? He was already dead, and she turned him into…a wraith of pain and suffering. She hasn't seen Gabriel since, but her conscience has been nagging at her. Like a pack of wolves encircling her, waiting for their chance to lash out from the dark.

" _Mein Gott_...what have I done to you, Gabriel…?" She whispered under her breath, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

* * *

 _She backed away from his form, fear soon locking her in place. She couldn't tear her eyes away. Gabriel was alive…but at what cost? His dark, vibrant skin now gray and withered. His eyes no longer brown, but as crimson as blood. A dark, sickening aura enveloped him as he crept closer. His face was split down the middle, with one side looking as monstrous as possible and the other barely clinging to humanity. Teeth were just sharp canines now. What_ _ **has**_ _she done to him?_

"… _What have you done to me, doc?"_

 _Angela blinked as he stopped right in front of her, waiting for her explanation. What could she say? What could she do? She couldn't reverse this, not right away. It would take years to undo the mess she's created. At this point, he was better off still dead._

" _I tried restoring you, b-but…something went wrong. I d-don't know what happened!"_

" _Oh? You think?" Gabriel was less than pleased. He was downright pissed. "I'm a fuckin' wraith! I'm barely considered human now. I'm a walkin' freak show!"_

 _He took a step back, groaning when he felt his skin degenerate and rebuild. It felt…wrong. So wrong. It didn't even feel like his own body anymore. Was this the final knife in the back by Overwatch? First the promotion given to Jack instead of him, moved to Blackwatch simply for convenience, and then blown up in their own base. It simply makes no sense to him. Someone inside Overwatch orchestrated everything. That was the only logical explanation._

" _Gabriel, please! I-I didn't mean for this, I swear…something must've went wrong, but I don't know what! Give me time to work it out so I can see if—"_

" _ **Enough."**_ _He's heard enough of the excuses, he just…wants out. His mind was made up. If he wanted leads and answers, he'll get them himself. Waiting for a cure when there's nothing left for him to go back to, except for McCree. But he probably didn't need him anymore. He taught him everything he needed. He should be fine. Gabriel moved away from Angela, his body disintegrating into the black mist. "I'll do things my way."_

" _Gabriel, wait!"_

 _But he was already gone. He disappeared into the black aura, which dissipated shortly after. The only thing Angela was left with…was her own guilt._

* * *

Angela blinked twice, her tears staining her white clothes. She hasn't been able to find a way to reverse what had happened, nor to make it easier for him to control what he was. She was sure that Gabriel was the one behind the murders, his animosity probably worse than she had realized. Winston had told her about the same apparition attacking him and attempting to download all Overwatch agents' information and locations. But…he wasn't able to get the information, so how's he doing it?

He had to be working with someone. He had to be.

Angela almost jumped out of the chair, not realizing when Genji entered the room. His cool metallic hand that was resting on her shoulder actually comforting to her at the moment. She should've rebuilt Gabriel like she did him. But she didn't. In one person's eyes, she was a savior. In the other, a monster. And she couldn't fix it.

"…I apologize, Genji. Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No, I was…worried. You've been a little distant since you came back."

Angela wiped her eyes, placing the manila folder back where she previously had it. "I'm just…remembering things, that's all. Don't worry about it."

Genji didn't pry, but he knew about her past mistakes. It was like a constant black cloud that seemed to stick with her, no matter what she did. He won't make excuses for what happened, but at least she wants to atone. It was enough. But she hasn't forgiven herself, therefore it won't happen until she does.

* * *

Little by little, more operatives began to show up. Reinhardt Wilheim, Lena Oxton, and Jesse McCree walked through the entrance, greeting Winston. Not many knew why they were here, but they could speculate quite well. The news reports have been proof enough, and most were not willing to wait around any longer for the government to twiddle their thumbs. This needed to be nipped in the bud before more lives were claimed.

"Hello, Winston!" Tracer spoke, giving the gorilla a big hug. "It's been too long!"

"Yes it has," He said, smiling. "You can already guess why you're here, right?"

"Mhm! Heroes like us are needed now, and we need to make things a little safer!" She stopped in her tracks, looking around. "Where's twinnie? Did Lena come in already?"

"Oh, Miss Farron? Athena, can you check?"

"One moment. Scanning active role call…" It was quiet for at least a minute before Athena responded again. "Lena Farron has not entered, but she has responded to your recommissioning. I cannot determine her exact location at this time."

"She must still be in the air."

Tracer frowned. "Well, I'll wait for her. Tell us whenever you find anything new, Winston!"

"Will do." His attention turned to both McCree and Reinhardt. "Still worried about the reports, you two?"

McCree nodded, putting out the cigar he had been holding in his mouth for quite some time. He didn't bring up the fact that the apparition he saw on the news had some resemblance to his mentor. He owed his life to him, but he was dead. The one person he wanted to call father, but never got the chance to. He missed him dearly.

"Aye. It's alarming to see good soldiers die in vain. Let us make sure no more blood spills." Reinhardt was itching to get back into the fight, and to see his old teammates again. But none from his original group seemed to be alive. He buried them after all. It was a day he never fully recovered from, and that only spurred him to fight harder and become a walking shield so the same mistakes will never happen again.

"Indeed. But since everyone is here, I believe that the apparition will come here to finish the job. I don't expect them to be able to take all of us on."

"Is that your plan? Haha, I like it! A coordinated attack should definitely finish the job! Let's begin the planning."

"Great, follow me."

Reinhardt followed Winston to a conference room, and McCree remained in deep thought. None of this made any sense to him. He was just…lost. He decided he was going to do what he's always done: just go with the flow. This will make sense at some point, he told himself. It had to.

* * *

After a few hours, Lena's flight touched down in Switzerland. She grabbed her tote bag and walked off the plane to grab her suitcase. The lines were shorter than she was originally hoping for, but it worked in her favor. Her bag came through the last scanning station and through the baggage claim, and she picked it up. She would order a rental at the station ahead. While she walked, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her. Her skin was literally crawling.

 _Someone's here, I can feel it. But where are they?_

She pretended like nothing was wrong…until she approached the rental station. Screams rang out one after another, fear enveloping the entire airport in mere seconds. A loud shot rang out and Lena dropped down, scanning her surroundings while keeping her head down. Security was searching the entire area, but the screams only got louder. They were just going down in scores. Whoever was doing this was damn good at their profession. People were rushing to the outside, to get to safety. Through the throes of frantic bodies, she saw a man holding a large rifle walking calmly into the airport. A tactical visor hid his face, and he lifted his rifle to shoot. Lena was in disbelief. She knows exactly what that weapon was.

How, exactly? She developed it herself, back when Overwatch was still an active organization. But the government confiscated all of her weapon blueprints, including the rifle that man was using. It was exclusive to Jack Morrison, when he was alive. But the military started to build a more advanced version for their use. It was still in the prototype stages the last she remembered.

So how did he get a hold of something like _that?_

Lena returned to a vertical base, and ran to the bathroom to change into her combat gear. Her morals wouldn't let her leave this place without resolving the problem, especially since people's lives were at stake. She could hear the rapid fire and more screaming. If something didn't give now, people were definitely going to die. With one final strap fastened, she exited the bathroom and entered the fight.

* * *

 **Author's note: Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! I posted a poll on my bio, and I really need you guys to vote! It's important for the character development later on and I don't want to screw it up while I'm on a roll, and I really want viewer feedback! So do me that favor, okay? Okay.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: the poll on my bio is open until I have at least ten total votes! Feedback for this story is also greatly appreciated! Thanks!**

* * *

There was a break in fire, and the man hid behind a large billboard to reload. He had been following this woman for almost a day, hoping to nip this entire global situation in the bud. With one deep breath he sprinted out of cover, his finger heavy on the trigger as he shot at his target. The woman shot once, but that was more than enough to show where she was. He took the opportunity to reload again. The only setback with this new heavy rifle was its small clip capacity.

It was a massive error on his part. He was free to hit in those few seconds it took for him to replace the clip in the magazine. When he looked up again, the targeting laser was locked on his head and the woman's finger was about to pull the trigger. But the perch she was stationed on was suddenly blown up with extreme power and she fell to the ground hard. Lena walked forward, straightening out her metal limbs with a sigh. She turned towards the man, who seemed in disbelief regardless of his face being hidden behind his visor.

"Introductions should be kept brief, so who are you?" The woman was slowly gathering her equilibrium from the blast, and if Lena wanted to work with this man, she had to have at least an alias to call him by.

"I have no name, so call me whatever you want." He walked forward, rifle still firmly in hand. He didn't have time to talk, he just wanted this woman dealt with so he could continue with his previous mission. If he were lucky, maybe she would tie into it somehow.

"Fine…" She glanced at the back of his leather jacket, which had the number '76' on it. "…Seventy-six."

The man grunted at the new name. He was indifferent about it, and just wanted Lena to get to safety instead of staying behind. He could handle this alone. But her mind was made up, and it was yet another soul lingering in the back of his brain. Another life he felt responsible for. The woman regained her balance and reloaded her weapon before using her grappling hook to move to safety. She knew she couldn't win on the ground. Their battle wasn't over yet.

"She went back up!" Seventy-six sprinted into the same building, and was immediately met with a poisonous mine. He accidentally inhaled the mist, and fell down to one knee. It was burning his lungs intensely, and it didn't seem to let up. Lena approached him, to attempt to help. He waved her off and motioned for her to follow the sniper. "G-Go…I'll catch up…!"

Lena hesitated, but heeded his words. She went up the stairs, dodging the hail of bullets and returning fire with occasional blasts of power. Suddenly, another cease-fire occurred and she began to get frustrated. She was goading them in to take them out, that much she was sure of. They had to stay away from open areas and places that had perches…which this airport had a lot of. Their options were limited. Instead of going after the woman, she went back down to check on Seventy-six.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Where's she gone…?" He was still coughing, but not as bad as before. "Where's the sniper…?"

"I lost her. Seems like she's trying to lure us into making a fatal mistake. Or she's buying time."

Seventy-six returned to his feet, heavy pulse rifle firmly in hand. He wasn't leaving here until the woman either escaped or was killed. He hoped for the latter, after he got the necessary information. He was also tracking Gabriel at one point, but he completely eluded him. To say that he was more than frustrated was an understatement.

"…Either way, we need to catch her. Come on." He activated his tactical visor and sprinted out of the building, and the auto targeting locked onto the sniper immediately. He didn't hesitate to fire the helix rockets at her location, which caused a concussive blast that pushed her back. The longer she kept moving, the more likely it became that she would tire out and make critical mistakes. "You can't run forever!"

But she still tried. She fired her rifle in three short bursts and tried to make a run for it again, but Seventy-six caught her this time. When his helix rockets finished recharging, he fired another set. It blocked the woman's path and the blast knocked her back down to even ground. When Lena rendezvoused with him, they both examined her body.

"She's not moving," She said. "I'm gonna be pissed if she's dead."

"Can't do anything about it now. I've done what I've came to do." It was a bittersweet victory, but he'll take what he can get. He carried his rifle on his shoulder and started to walk away. There was nothing left for him to do here.

"…Wait. That rifle you're carrying…where did you get it from?"

Seventy-six stopped in his tracks, cursing underneath his breath. It's been a while since he had recovered it. He seized it from a building in Chicago a few years back. He was surprised by how lax security was and how easily the weapon could be procured. The rifle itself was a prototype that was almost complete and to be used by the military within the next year. Him taking said rifle just set them back more than they would've liked.

"I got it from a corporal building in Chicago. It's almost sad how easy it was to get. Don't know who came up with the prototype, though. It's a real piece of work."

Lena bit her tongue and settled for a simple nod. She didn't disclose that _she_ was the one who made the rifle before the government confiscated everything. She was about to say more, but she immediately shut her mouth upon hearing sirens outside the airport. They couldn't be seen here, and she didn't have time to be questioned. They had to leave, right now.

"Cops are here," She said. "Can't afford to be questioned right now, I'm running late!"

She ran outside, away from view. Strangely, Seventy-six was following her. She didn't argue, and continued running until they were far enough to not be noticed. That was definitely going to be the highlight of the eleven o'clock news later.

"You're not even gonna go get your bags?"

"Screw 'em for now. I have to get somewhere."

Seventy-six didn't say anything right away. His eyes examined her gear, skeptical about how much power was actually inside the combat suit she was wearing. It was downright inhuman. Even though Lena did little during the battle, that large blast of power did most of the work for him. He definitely perceived her as a threat deep down, but right now he had no choice but to trust her.

"Let me come with you," He said. "We need a safe place to stay for now, anyway."

"We're not that far from a place. It was recently abandoned, but…it's operational again. Come on, grab my hand."

"Wait, hold on—"

Seventy-six's words were cut short without warning, as Lena grabbed his hand and jumped into the air, both of them disappearing in a flash.

* * *

The room was quiet and dark, but privacy was not present. Gabriel's body just kept disintegrating and regenerating, but it was no longer as painful as it used to be. Anger was present in his deformed features, sharp canines biting into his lip. Low growls formed in the back of his throat, eyes locked on the lone camera in the corner of the room. They had patched up his injuries from before, replacing them with new bandages. Still, he wasn't too pleased with the area he had awakened in.

" _Rise and shine, Reaper."_

His crimson eyes were boring a hole into the camera, hoping whoever was on the other end knew better than to think they had a hold on him. He looked down at his body, which was stable for the moment. He was behind his own schedule, more lives from Overwatch needed to be taken. Until no more remained. That was his goal, at least.

" _I have some info that might interest you…that you can't afford to turn down."_

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at the camera as they spoke. It wasn't the first time they said that, since he started working with them. Their information has been solid so far, but the more he worked with these people, the more hellbent they seem on making him a permanent agent in their ranks. He scoffed at that. He was merely _using_ them to get what he wanted. After he finishes his goal, he will cut ties with them. Hopefully that will be the end of their…business deal.

" _There's been an unusual influx of Overwatch operatives entering one of their old watchpoints in Switzerland. Sounds like prime killing ground, don't you think?"_

He wasn't too far from there, and could probably be there quicker and more discreet than most. Without another word, he grabbed his gear and suited up. His mask was still in the hands of Lena, but the hood would be more than sufficient for this possible final job. He loaded up his shotguns and disappeared out of the room.

 _Overwatch ends tonight._

* * *

Lena's teleporting landed them just outside the main entrance of the watchpoint. She caught her balance just in time as soon as she felt solid ground underneath her feet. Seventy-six couldn't say the same though. He wasn't ready for it, and the fact that she was leading him to some place he wasn't used to wasn't really better. But at least it was somewhere remote.

"The lights are on, and I can hear some talking inside. A good st—"

"Twinnieeeeeee-!" Not even a few seconds of showing up, Tracer was sprinting towards her. When she was in range, she straddled herself and gave her a big hug. "It's been so long! When you didn't show up, I thought you were dead!"

"Not dead…just delayed," She said, smiling. "Is everyone inside? I have some things to disclose."

"I believe so. Winston started workin' on his plan already, and anythin' that can give us an edge against what we're facin' is appreciated." She detached herself from Lena, focusing on Seventy-six behind her. He hasn't said anything since he got here. Mostly because this was uncharted territory. He didn't have the luxury to set his weapon down and take a breath. "Hmm? Who're you, mister?"

"…Seventy-six," he stated. "We're wasting time. If there's a plan, we need to get it set up soon."

"He's right. Can you take me to him?"

"Sure! Follow me." Tracer led them through the entrance, where Athena scanned and announced both of them. Lena was glad to see that not much has changed about her old workplace. Everything was the same since the last time she stepped foot into the building. She has yet to see her weapons room, which she hoped remained the same. If any incomplete prototypes of any kind were missing, it would just add to the growing problems. Tracer stopped just in front of one of the occupied conference rooms and opened the door. "Guess who, guys!"

"Ah, you made it!" Winston smiled. "I can imagine the traffic from the airport to here."

"You have _no_ idea, old friend." Lena smiled and entered, giving everyone a hug. "It's good to see you're all well still."

"It has been quite some time indeed, old friend!" Reinhardt's voice was booming off the walls, and it was a mystery how he was able to even fit in the room to begin with. Still, Lena wouldn't complain. It was good to see old faces…the ones who weren't _dead_ , anyway. "I am glad to see you still live. We were finally reaching the conclusion to our plan."

"Tell me what you have so far."

Winston relayed the plan back to Lena and Seventy-six in full detail. He explained that he will have different operatives stationed at different parts of the watchpoint, with timed shifts. Snipers would be stationed in blind spots and choke points, just in case there was more than one person included with this apparition they were facing. Several shadow agents would be at the most vulnerable areas within the watchpoint, if they did manage to sneak through the snipers' view and into the compound. Everyone else would be back up.

"And that's what we're going with."

A lone finger tapped on Lena's chin as she contemplated her modifications for the plan Winston and the rest of the company threw together. For thwarting a normal terrorist, this plan would never fail. But against Gabriel…this was _doomed_ to fail. He would see through it, and easily lay the poor soldiers to waste without much effort. She had to make this a little less conspicuous.

"It's a good plan, Winston, but we can't play offensive here. This isn't a normal human." Her eyes closed momentarily as she thought, then opened them again. "…He's probably been tipped off about all of us being here, so let's base this new plan off of that."

"Whatcha got in mind, darlin'?" McCree asked, anxiety showing on his face. She helped out with Blackwatch behind the scenes more than once, something he was grateful for. He probably wouldn't have been alive if it weren't for Gabriel and her. "If it's somethin' stupid, best leave the plan as is."

"Can't do that, Jesse. I've seen what this person can do firsthand, and if we take this as a joke, more of us— _and_ innocent civilians—are going to die. So…I'm going to use myself as bait."

"No," He snapped, his palms smacking gingerly onto the table in protest. "No way, Lena. Not again."

"You don't have much choice. I have some experience against this guy, I can do the most damage. And we can subdue him, _not_ execute. Besides, I'm not done explaining my plan yet."

She explained that only a small decoy squad would be needed for flanking only. Her only job was to lure him into their range to block him off, and then Winston would lock Gabriel in place with a force field. If that didn't work, then he was to be rendered unconscious. The rest would be up to her and her alone.

"Why do you want him alive?" Winston inquired. "You have questions to ask him before he takes his second dirt nap?"

"…Yes." She was hesitant to say why, but that's what she left it at. She wanted them to see who he really was for themselves, instead of just blatantly saying so. Gabriel _was_ dead, and saying he's alive as a vengeful wraith doesn't exactly sound…believable to any sane mind. "A _lot_ of questions, Winsto I need answers…that's all."

"Well, I have no reason to protest. We'll follow your plan."

"Thank you. Now let's debrief everyone else and get into position."


	5. Chapter 5

While everyone was preparing, McCree was leaning against a wall deep in thought. He owed her his life, and to see her possibly lose hers over this…it tore him up inside. He wasn't a child anymore, but damn if those feelings of gratitude weren't there. He's seen what this person can do, what he's capable of. This plan was going to have casualties, probably too many. It was beyond unnerving for him. And he would be damned if Lena—or anyone else—was going to be added to the slowly growing list of bodies.

 _I hope you know what you're doin', Lena._

* * *

 _The door swung open violently, echoes of yelling and gunshots ringing out filled the hideout. McCree was pulled into a room, the door locking behind him as the last remaining of the Deadlock gang staged a last attempt to stay alive. The shooting ceased, which caused some of them to squirm with anxiety. Tears streaked down his face out of fear, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest. It was hot, his mouth was dry, and his body ached. He wanted so bad to leave, to bolt from the room and leave them behind. Where would he go? This place was all he knew._

 _There was a loud gunshot, the lock being blown off the door and then being kicked off its hinges. The remaining members raised their weapons, but not before they were subdued. It was almost pathetic. Double shotguns were raised momentarily before they were brought down to be reloaded. A woman came in next, looking around until her eyes settled on the young kid's soiled face. The man raised a finger to his ear, pressing down on the mobile intercom to talk on it._

" _Area secured, send for extraction."_

 _McCree was slowly moving away from them, looking for ways to escape. But the only exit was where the two soldiers were standing. The woman slowly walked towards him, kneeling down to his level. "…I don't know what happened to you, but we're gonna get you out of here. Just co-operate with us, okay?"_

" _Will he even listen? The kid's scared outta his mind, Lena." Gabriel didn't seem too enthused about letting McCree tag along, but no one else would watch over him. He was only a teenager, by the looks of it. It would be cruel to not feel bad for him. He holstered his shotguns, to alleviate just a bit of the overwhelming tension._

" _He'll listen. He's still a kid, but he'll listen. Trust me." Lena extended her hand to him, hoping he'll return the gesture. Luckily, he did. "What's your name?"_

"… _J-Jesse," He said, wiping his eyes. "Jesse M-McCree."_

" _Okay, Jesse. We're gonna take you with us. When we get to our destination, Gabriel—" She pointed behind her, "Will be in charge of you."_

 _Gabriel raised an eyebrow, a little annoyed that the kid was suddenly sprung on him. Lena was the one with the motherly touch, why couldn't she do it? After the few seconds he took to think about the kid looming around Lena's workplace, he was technically safer with him. Lena disliked people messing around her workspace, since they could easily mess up her work or injure themselves. He's been on the receiving end of both an ass kicking and a scolding session at the same time because of it._

" _Fine," He replied, resigning to his new duty of taking care of McCree. "The runt will be in my care. Let's go."_

 _McCree hesitated for just a moment, but he truly had no one at this point. What did he have to lose? He grabbed her hand and stood up, following their lead. When he stepped outside, he had to use his free hand to block the sun. There were several armored trucks around, with several armored men holding assault rifles. No wonder they fell in droves. They were ready for a fight when they pulled up. He cowered next to Lena, his grip tightening involuntarily. He only relaxed when he was in the interior of one of the trucks._

" _Hey," Gabriel barked, banging on the side of the metal. "Get us outta here. Mission's complete."_

" _Yes sir."_

* * *

"McCree!" Tracer was calling him from afar, jumping up and waving to make sure that he saw her. "C'mon, we need to get into position!"

"Alright, hold ya horses." He sluggishly moved towards them, a sigh coming from his lips. He wasn't too keen on this at all, but it was their only chance to save lives. He just wished it didn't involve Lena using herself as the punching bag. McCree constantly bit his tongue to suggest he'd take the hits. "Wait, where's Lena?"

"She went to check out her old office for something that could help us." Tracer smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "C'mon, McCree! Lena's never let us down, and she's not gonna start!"

"That's not exactly what I'm worried about, but okay." He turned his head away, deep in thought once again. Tracer frowned, her arms folding over her chest. It seemed like he didn't trust Lena's expertise, but if people played their parts correctly, they would get through this with minimal losses. They hoped so. The losses they already suffered were devastating enough.

* * *

Lena manually opened the double doors to her weapons laboratory, turning on the lights. Everything was as she left it. The materials for her weapons development were left behind, except for her prototypes and blueprints. Well, most of them. She rushed over to her desk, pulling out a hidden black folder that contained two blueprints. One was her current battle suit and metal attachments, and the other was a weapon that had yet to be in development, and for good reason. This weapon used destructive projectiles created by the power in her metal limbs, but also had the ability to turn into a blade. She _could_ build it now, as she had the necessary materials. But the crucial variable was time. How much did she have of it? Probably not much, considering how quickly Gabriel liked to capitalize on any opening he had.

She laid out the blueprint, reviewing it briefly before rushing to gather up the necessary materials and began assembling. She started cutting and sculpting the alloys to their optimal lengths, aligning them before she wielded them together. She would eventually have to place a cap on the weapon, just like she did with her gear. She accidentally made it _too_ powerful, and only uses ten percent of its actual capability. She's never gone over twenty percent, and she's terrified to find out what would happen if these blueprints ended up in the wrong hands.

It would certainly be worse than the Omnic Crisis, which majority of the world is still in the process of recovering from. She didn't think she would be able to live with herself if it happened.

Once she was satisfied with the pieces, and the energy source from her suit was implanted, she began to build the weapon. But once she began to get started, the power cut off. Frustration began to build slowly, and she set down her utensils and approached the intercom. It was able to work during power outages, since it was on its own closed circuit. But it didn't seem to be working at all. There was nothing but static on the lines.

"Everything was fine just a second ago," She mused to herself, "Did we trigger a fuse?"

She exited out of her lab, temporarily abandoning her project. The only light was from outside, and the backup lights. Those were incredibly dim, but it was enough. She entered the main room, where everyone was confused, but still calm.

"What's going on?"

"Everything's gone silent," Seventy-six said, his rifle at the ready. "It's an EMP."

"EMP?" Lena steeled herself, motioning for everyone to get into position. "This is going to complicate things…where's the snipers and shadow agents?"

"It cut off while we were telling them to rendezvous. They didn't get the order."

Lena cursed under her breath, then motioned for Seventy-six to fall back to his position. She stood her ground, waiting for Gabriel to walk through the front door. She could hear his sluggish footsteps, and something dragging behind him. When he came in, she could see a corpse in his grip and blood covering his entire person. Lena's breath hitched in her throat. The blood was fresh…did he kill the leftover agents? How come no one could hear it!?

"What happened to the other agents?" She asked, her voice low. "Did you kill them?"

" _Death always comes to collect."_ He threw the corpse to the side carelessly. She noted how withered and decomposed it looked. How did they get like that in such a short time? _"And I'm not done with my list."_

"If that's the case, then why did you let me live when you attacked me two days ago?" She raised her voice slightly, hands balling into fists. His logic just wasn't making sense. Something clicked inside of him before, but now he seemed more ruthless. His clawed hands and knuckles were completely covered in blood, as if he were pummeling something. This was a _totally_ different Gabriel than the one she fought in her house.

"… _A temporary lapse in judgement. Won't happen again."_ There was a brief moment of silence before Gabriel moved towards her, and then began his sprint. Lena noted that he didn't use his double assault shotguns this time, but he still wanted to get up close and personal. She brought her hands up, blocking his attacks. Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal.

"Enough talking." She threw punches and kicks in a blur, an advantage given to her by her martial arts training. Still, it wasn't enough. Gabriel was still able to overpower her without trying, and her attacks actually left her more open than she would've liked. He grabbed her leg, swinging her around like a ragdoll and releasing her into the large metal crates across the room. Lena's body left a huge dent outline on it, but she recovered easily. In the background, McCree was eager to jump into the fight, regardless of what she said. Tracer placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head.

"She'll be fine, luv. It may look bad, but she knows what she's doin'."

He grunted, the grip on his revolver tightening then relaxing. The trust wasn't the issue. It was the fact that he had to lay low and watch her get brutalized. She was fighting back, but not enough for it to be a fair fight. Gabriel had no remorse when he was throwing his blows.

"She's gettin' massacred…!"

Blood pearled at the corner of her mouth, her balance shaken up from the constant blows dealt to her. Lena grabbed his fist again, coming in close to headbutt him hard enough to slightly split her own crown. She teleported up to the next floor, beckoning for him to follow. He did, disappearing into a cloud of black mist and appearing across from her. The fighting continued fiercely, her combat suit slowly being shredded with every narrow dodge. She pinned Gabriel to the wall, sharply kneeing him continuously in his torso. He overpowered her easily once again, ramming her against the railing. It yanked a cry out of her, and she pulled them both over the edge and started freefalling.

"T-They're falling…!" McCree stood up from his hiding position, but was pulled back down by Tracer. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Genji with his dragonblade drawn and ready to strike. What in the hell was she doing?

" _You're dead, Giga."_ His voice was still low and distorted, even without the mask over his face. He pulled out a shotgun, holding it to her chest. He raised an eyebrow when she chuckled. _"What's so damn funny?"_

"The only person who's screwed is you," She said, then she teleported out of his reach. When he looked down, he could see the dragon spirit illuminated with Genji's blade and it passed through him. Excruciating pain radiated all over his body and he collapsed to the ground, miraculously still conscious. The decoy squad was sent out to keep him boxed in, their guns at the ready just in case Gabriel became hostile once more. Genji sheathed his odachi and went over to check on Lena.

"Can you stand?" He asked, holding out his hand. She slowly returned the gesture, returning to her feet. She was using most of her strength to remain conscious, but she leaned against his body to remain upright mostly. Genji frowned. "You need medical attention…where's—"

He instantly became quiet when he heard maniacal cackling. Gabriel was kneeling now, a set of shotguns in his hands as he rose to a vertical base. The familiar black mist was covering the floor and snaked around the soldiers' bodies, rendering them immobile. They were immobilized with fear, unable to pull the trigger when they had the chance. Lena pulled on Genji and limped to cover, realizing what was about to happen.

"GET TO COVER, NOW!"

The black mist soon swirled around Gabriel's body, his features slowly becoming more monstrous. In less than a second, he was twirling around, a barrage of buckshot going everywhere as he took down each soldier brutally. Blood and gore splattered everywhere, since the power of his shotguns was increased exponentially when he was in close range. His maniacal cackling ceased right then and the black mist receded. Gabriel leaned over one of the soldiers, his mouth opening as if he were consuming something. When he pulled back, the soldier was decaying rapidly. Now she knew why he called himself Reaper.

He was literally _consuming_ the souls of those he's murdered. It's why he was so powerful. Gabriel returned his attention to where Lena and Genji were laying low, tossing away his used shotguns and pulling out another set. Both of them were cornered, with nowhere to go. Genji refused to leave Lena to fend for herself. Her teleporting ability was disabled, due to her combat suit being a lost cause. She had open wounds everywhere, including on the crown of her head. She needed medical attention, and fast.

"Damn it all…" Genji held shuriken in between his fingers, getting ready to pull a kamikaze stunt that he hoped would pay off. He darted around the metal crates, throwing a set and prepping another immediately. The shuriken hit their target, but did little to no damage against him. In fact, Gabriel shrugged them right off, as if they were mere toys. "What the hell are you?"

The shotguns went off in rapid succession, but the buckshot was blocked with his wakizashi, deflecting them back at him. Again, there was no effect. Underneath his visor, Genji was terrified. He's never faced a person with this kind of ability, and he didn't know how to get the upperhand. Still, he stood his ground even though Gabriel was close enough to kill him immediately.

" _Shut up and die—"_ His attention focused behind him when Lena sprinted from behind their previous hiding spot and jumped on top of him. The shotguns fell from his hands as he tried to push her off, but was met with a blast from her metal limbs that sent him skidding across the floor. The tiles were uprooted from the power alone, and he was no longer unconscious. Even with his intake of human souls, he still wasn't strong enough to sustain a point blank Giga blast. No one was. Lena was on the ground, her breathing labored. Genji kneeled down, fulling supporting her now. She had pushed herself to her limit with that attack and she could no longer sustain herself. Reinhardt and Seventy-six came from behind cover, detaining Gabriel.

"Well…" Lena coughed, a weak smile forming on her face. "Plan didn't go how I wanted…but our objective is secured…we need to keep him in a secure place until I can…talk to him."

"You need to get medical help," Genji rebutted, his grip tightening as she slowly became limp. "Where's Angela? She was just in here!"

Lena was fighting unconsciousness, but it was winning regardless. Her injuries were just too severe. When she blinked, Tracer was yelling her name and shaking her to get her attention. The next, McCree was yelling and pointing at the dead bodies with his revolver in his hand. After that, she could feel herself being carried. She didn't know by who.

Then everything finally went black.


	6. Chapter 6

The monitors that were hooked up to Lena were beeping slowly, a yellow light flashing showing her quickened heartrate. It would soon slow down, once the painkillers kicked in. She would rouse every now and then, audible noises of pain making itself known before she settled back into silence after her dose of morphine was given. Angela kept tight tabs on her vitals, just in case things took a turn for the worse.

After she was sure that Lena would be fine for the next few hours, Angela grabbed her caduceus blaster and exited the room, slowly approaching the room both Reinhardt and Seventy-six confined him in. Her hand rested on the knob, fear making her hesitate all of a sudden. She could hear Gabriel's laugh from the other side. Still, she turned the knob, stepping inside the dark room.

"… _Doc."_ The word was laced with animosity towards the other. The grudge was set in deep. _"Come to put the final touches on your project?"_

Angela knew he was talking about—himself. She raised her blaster, her aim faltering from the fear that nearly made her blood run cold. Her mistakes were staring her back in the face, after ten long years. Everything's come full circle and there was nowhere for her to run. Her back was against a wall and Gabriel knew it. That's why he was laughing at her.

And everyone was going to know, including Lena. She knew if she found out, she'd be beyond pissed.

"I've come to rectify my mistakes," Angela said. "Before anyone else gets hurt…Gabriel."

" _You're a little late for that, ain't ya? You had your chance to fix what happened, and all you gave were excuses."_ The smirk that was on his face soon disappeared. _"This ain't your show anymore. It's Giga's. She's put this freakshow of a plan together, now she's gotta fix_ _ **your**_ _mistakes in the process. How does it feel knowing your failiures will drown you?"_

"Shut up!" She fired off a shot, grazing his right cheek. He didn't react, besides a simple glare that threatened to rip through her. Angela was shaking furiously now, fear threatening to immobilize her. "I…I've been trying to help you this past decade, Gabriel. But…I've hit dead ends. I…I need to get a sample of your flesh to—"

" _Absolutely not,"_ He snapped, his face becoming more monstrous as his temper flared yet again. _"You've screwed me up enough. Hell no."_

"T-Then let Lena do it!" She paused, slowly lowering her blaster back down to her waist. If he wouldn't listen to her anymore, maybe he would listen to Lena. She had a run-in with him…and lived to tell the tale more than once now. It proved that a remnant of the old Gabriel was still in there…somewhere. "She's been working in my same area of expertise since she's left Overwatch. She may be able to help you out where I cannot. She may be able to at the very least…make you stable."

He remained silent, contemplating how worse things could get if he listened to Angela's plea. It…could work. From what he vaguely remembers, Lena's never steered him wrong. She's always had his back, no matter what. Would she do the same now, even after time strained their friendship?

He would soon find out.

"… _Fine, I'll take the gamble. But if this doesn't work, I'm comin' for your head."_

"I have faith in Lena's capabilities. You should too, since you two were close friends at one point." She exited the room, but still stood in its doorway. She glanced over her shoulder, giving him a small smile before walking away. "…Maybe more than friends. Who can say?"

* * *

Lena's eyes flickered open, her vision snapping around the room she was in. She looked down, wires and an IV hanging from her chest and right arm. She was no longer in her tattered battle suit and armor, but a black hospital gown instead. She reached to rip off the adhesives that attached the EKG to her, refusing to wait for Angela to come back and do it herself. Work had to be done, and she had to check up on Gabriel. She pulled out the IV slowly, grimacing and placing her thumb over the site to prevent it from bleeding out.

"Ah…damn it…"

She sat up, limping over to the counter to grab a cotton ball and a bandage to place over the wound. Lena then limped over to the closet, opening it and rummaging through the clothes to pull out a pair of black sweatpants and a grey tank top. They were a little big in size, but they would fit. She undid the buttons on her gown, tossing it to the side and putting the clothes on. In her reflection, she could see how banged up she was. Her entire torso was bandaged up, blood tinting the gauze somewhat. Her forearms and hands were bandaged as well, possibly from the cuts and burns from her metal limbs clashing with Gabriel's claws. The top of her head stung with pain, and she leaned down to see the crown of her head with absorbable stitches in the area. Some of the hair was shaved so it didn't become infected. The problem could easily be rectified by tying her hair up into a bun to cover the bald spot.

She just…looked awful. Lena sighed, closing the closet back after examining herself. She had to finish creating her gunblade at least…and repair her gear. She limped out of the infirmary and into the hallway towards her lab. She constantly stopped, to catch her breath. One push on her ribs confirmed bruising…or possible hairline fractures. Still, she pressed on and opened the door to her lab when she made it.

She didn't expect Athena to call her on the intercom, though.

"Doctor Farron, you should be resting. Your injuries are too severe to roam around without proper supervision."

"I'll be fine, Athena. Just need to put my weapon together and I'll take it easy…promise."

The AI stalled momentarily, but took her word for it. "…Very well. I shall continue to monitor your vitals for any significant changes."

"That's doable. Thank you." Lena moved back to her station, relieved that none of the pieces went missing. She grabbed her tools and began putting screwing and welding the metal together. It was slightly tricky to get the blade mechanism to function properly, but she got it to work. After the gunblade was completely assembled, she realized she couldn't test it. Her metal limbs were missing for her to activate the gun. Lena slammed her hands on the table out of frustration.

"Dammit! Where'd they put those—" Breathing was hard enough with her damaged ribs, and the black mist blanketing the floor did her no favors. She backed away from the entrance to her lab, using the assembly table to keep her upright. Right before she could turn to run, her ribs disagreed. The black mist disappeared and there stood Gabriel, looking rather…disappointed? Angry? She couldn't tell, the pain being the only thing on her mind for the meantime. "…Gabriel."

" _You don't know how to say when enough's enough."_

Lena scowled at him, still leaning against the table. Was he beginning to mock her? If so, he needed to do much better than what he's doing. There was doubt in the back of her mind, though. This person was wearing Gabriel's face, but it couldn't _be_ him. He was just…too different for her liking. Either time and previous events combined caused him to snap, or he's being brainwashed. Both sounded equally bad. And a combination of the two…was even worse. But remaining the same after so much time has passed, is beyond unnatural.

"It's called resiliency. You know all about that…right?" She managed a small chuckle, but that was it. Her ribs were in pure agony. "Ugh…are you _really_ Gabriel? Or are you…someone that just happens to have his face…?"

" _Tch. There's only one Gabriel like me in this world, and I'm supposed to be dead. How's about you ask the doc what happened. Considerin' that she did this to me for starters."_

Light brown hues widened in disbelief. Angela did this to him? How? And why didn't she fix the issue? Ten years of Gabriel being like this? Wallowing in his constant pain and snowballing anger? Her own anger built up in her veins and she slammed her hands on the table again, the materials resting on it suddenly shifting from her raw power. She wanted to—no, she _needed_ to talk to Angela about this. She needed to know why—

" _Don't bother talkin' to her about the situation. She placed me in your care because of your current work and our…previous friendship."_

"Give me one reason why I should." Pure adrenaline was coursing through her and Lena stood up straight, her eyes narrowing at him. "You haven't convinced me, Gabe."

Her skepticism was noted, along with her hostility. He _did_ try to kill her not too long ago, after all. His head was actually hurting, has been ever since he was debriefed. What did they do to him? It almost hurt to think on his own, the pain becoming more unbearable the more he fought for his own self-awareness.

" _I could've killed you twice now, but I couldn't do it. The more I look at you, the more I feel something in my chest. I can't remember_ _ **you**_ _clearly, but your face…it's unmistakable."_

"What are you talking about? You're not making—" And that's when she realized it. The pang of regret settling deep in the pits of her stomach. Lena raised a hand to her face, tears burning her eyes as she looked at him. "…You've been brainwashed, Gabriel. They made you forget, and…and they forged you into a weapon of hatred. How did this happen, what did they—"

Clawed hands reached up to cup her face, a sign of gentle intimacy. But he stopped himself, looking down at them. They were caked with coagulated blood, and he could feel his cells regenerating and disintegrating once again. Half of him remained human while the rest struggled to hold onto his shredded humanity. Gabriel was a prideful man, unwilling to ask for help even when he desperately needed it. He didn't have much choice here. He removed the gloves, displaying slightly tinted gray skin. His body was dead, but it didn't decompose much. He was found by Angela shortly after the explosion. Still, the damage had been done.

" _This…is what happened to me. This…is my eternal curse."_

"No…no, it's not. I can probably fix it, or at the very least give you control over what you are. I just need to…to get Angela's notes so I can figure out where to start."

She turned, walking away from Gabriel to go get the notes. Her body didn't agree with her once again, and she lurched forward and onto her knees. Black mist swirled around her body, and she believed that he was going to kill her. He had the opportunity to, why wouldn't he? But he didn't. Instead, the black mist seemed to be helping with the pain. Lena turned her head slightly to look at him.

"W-What're you…"

" _You'll kill yourself before I make a third attempt, girl. Focus on your tasks at hand."_

Yeah, part of the old Gabriel still remained. She could see it in his face, which was looking as normal as she had seen it so far. Still, after what he's done…him trying to help in any way seemed a little too far-fetched. Lena inched back up to a vertical base and began to rebuild her combat gear.

"…Thank you. You can go check out your old office, if you want. If not, you can stay in here. Just _don't_ touch anything."

He simply snorted, but heeded her orders. He took a seat in her office, sitting in one of the chairs and pulling up his hood to hide his face. While Lena was rebuilding the metal limbs, she realized that the spandex she was using for her battle suit was no longer optimal. But she had other alternatives at her disposal. The doors to her lab opened once again, and she mentally sighed. Why couldn't she get any work done without interruptions…?

"Lena, you're not well enough to be up yet."

"Work has to be done, Angie. I don't have the luxury to just sit back and relax."

"…Then let me start my medical stream treatments at least." Her caduceus staff was in her hand, ready to be used. "It's been modified to help heal most wounds instantaneously in battle, but…your internal injuries will take a little longer."

"…Okay. Use it."

"Thank you." She pointed her staff at Lena, and activated the medical stream. Instantly, her wounds were mending underneath their bandages and she could breathe significantly easier. "I'll continue the treatments for three days. By then, your wounds should be healed more than enough."

"That makes everything a lot easier…but I have a question."

"Yes?"

"What tests have you ran on Gabriel? I need to see them so I can start working on treatments for him."

"How did you—" There was no point in lying, or getting upset. She was found out. Angela glanced behind her and saw Gabriel relaxing in Lena's office. Of course he told. Regardless of what he was saying, he trusted Lena. She was never clear about their friendship, if it could be called that. It was never her business to know. Still isn't. "…I'll go get the paperwork."

The door shut and Lena was now once again hard at work rebuilding her suit. Things happened to him that shouldn't have, and she just wanted to fix it. The problem however, was where Gabriel's loyalties laid. She knew he couldn't give a damn about Overwatch…but who wanted them out of the picture so badly? And why are they brainwashing him to do it? She had her suspicions, but…they haven't been active since the explosion at Zulrich. The information that was given to her about the incident didn't make sense, either. No foul play, even with infighting being the cause? That's…unsound.

"Nothing's making sense anymore…" She placed her tools down, slowly getting lost in her own thoughts. The door to her lab opened again, and Angela came back with the requested information in a folder labeled 'cell regeneration project'. After taking the folder, she examined the information. Lena bit down on her lower lip to keep from snapping at her. This was inhumane in her eyes, but Angela did what she thought was best at the time. The only problem was that Gabriel didn't see it that way. "Uh, thanks. I might have to borrow your office…for the biopsy and synthetization."

"Very well. Just tell me when and I'll get everything ready." And she left to return to her office without another word. Lena walked into her office, tossing the folder on the desk and collapsing against the wall. From scanning though the papers, she realized that Gabriel was just…one big walking cancer. He's constantly in pain because he can't control the cell disintegration and regeneration properly.

" _Any good news?"_ Worry was evident in his features, and he turned his body to face her. Her body language was grim. _"Probably not."_

"Not really," She replied. "I don't think I can make you human again…that's just not possible."

" _Tch…then what the hell am I—"_

"But…" She interrupted him, before he could rant and throw a tantrum. Everyone was still tense from what happened previously. Him going on a rampage again would mean he'd be killed. "I may be able to help you control it. Will you let me try?"

Try. He's seen where that word's gotten him. It's been more than ten years since he's been this way. Turning down Lena's offer to help would be counterproductive. Crimson hues locked with light brown ones, all hostility suddenly removed from them. He'd give her the chance. Just one. If the results are satisfactory, he'll let her continue.

"… _Fine. What do I have to lose?"_

"Good. Now let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

"That's no fair, I want a rematch!"

"Alright you're on, girlie." McCree took off his hat for this one as they began the next round of table tennis. Everyone needed something to calm their nerves, and sometimes a little friendly competition was needed. He had yet to lose, but he has only played Tracer so far. "Show me whatcha got!"

"You asked for it!" She served first, letting the small ball bounce once before hitting it over the net. McCree returned her hit and began a rally. The others were watching while carrying on with their own conversations.

But everyone was more worried about the fact that Reaper was in their base. It sent chills down their spines, and made their hairs stand on end. He hasn't done anything yet, but the fact that he could start up again was more than reason enough to remain tense. Angela had briefed them that Lena would be in charge of him indefinitely, and that furrowed some brows. She said it was best left alone for now.

Bounce, hit. Bounce, hit. The ball traded sides, both eagerly awaiting the moment one of them faltered. When the opportunity presented itself, McCree smashed the ball with a sly grin on his face. Tracer anticipated it this time, however. She returned the hard rally with her own, but from a different angle. McCree couldn't reach out in time and the ball bounced and landed on the floor.

"Yeah! This round goes to me!"

"Heh, looks like we're even now." The paddle was placed gently onto the table and he grabbed his hat, adjusting it to his liking. His conscience was nagging at him, he wanted to check up on Lena. He saw how bad she looked. It was a miracle she was even alive. He left the lounging area, walking down the corridor to the infirmary. He walked to the door, his hand resting on the knob and turning it. McCree saw Gabriel first, and drew his revolver.

"I thought you were in confinement," He said. "What're you doin' out here?"

" _Put that gun down if you know what's good for you, boy."_ Gabriel's hands shot out, pinning McCree's body to the wall with one, and his arm with the other. He was told not to start trouble, but his temper was flaring. He was already angry that he had to be under Lena's thumb. McCree's appearance didn't do him any favors. _"Don't make me kill you."_

"Do your worst, bitch."

Monstrous features hardened with murderous intent, and he inched closer to McCree's face. The door opened and slammed closed with Lena wedging herself in the middle, pushing them apart. Tension grew way too quickly, and she used her hands to keep each other at bay. Through the constant yelling and name calling, she made her voice known.

" _Enough, both of you!"_ She turned towards Gabriel first. "Sit back down, please. I haven't done what I needed to do."

Clawed hands balled into fists, but he relaxed and disengaged. McCree did the same, holstering his revolver. Lena sighed, slowly putting her hands down and moving over to one of the counters to grab a scalpel, needles and small vials to capture the flesh and small amounts of blood she could use for synthetization. Anything would help.

"Jesse, I'll…I'll call you back in after a while…okay?"

Brows furrowed in confusion. She was kicking him out of the room, for his comfort? He wanted to stay and see what she was up to. The man before him wasn't to be taken lightly, and she was using him as a test subject. Was this what she wanted to do when she asked them to spare his life? What was his importance to her?

"Why are you so fixated on him?" He asked. He wasn't leaving until he got a straight answer. "A lotta things aren't makin' too much sense around here, and I need to know why—"

"Because It's _Gabriel,_ Jesse." The words just flew from her mouth, but she didn't regret it. Everyone had a right to know who was under hood, especially McCree. This _was_ the person he cared for the most. His face confirmed what she had feared. His disbelief was unmistakable. "…I wouldn't lie to you. Not about him."

In a desperate attempt for it to be a joke, he peeled back the hood. It wasn't a joke, it was reality. He really _was_ Gabriel. Crimson hues bored into his, which welled up with furious tears. McCree's hands wrapped around his neck, but no pressure was added. It didn't matter either way, since he was _dead._ His gut instinct had given him a feeling that he knew who Reaper actually was. He just didn't want to acknowledge it because it would've been painful.

And damn if that wasn't the truth.

"What…what happened to you?" His voice was breaking, and above a whisper. "I looked up to you, and was mentored by you…why would you devote your life to getting rid of people like us? What did Overwatch do to you to make you like this!?"

The fact that Gabriel said nothing to him made McCree raise his fist in anger, as if to hit him. Lena stepped in, pulling him off of him.

"Why are you stoppin' me, Lena!?"

"Before you trade blows with him, why don't you let him explain?" Light brown eyes narrowed at the bounty hunter. Her patience was already thin with him, and she couldn't blame McCree for how he reacted to learning the truth. Tears spilled from his eyes, from both his overwhelming anger and grief. "I'm sure he's _willing_ to do so. You owe Jesse that much."

" _Hmph."_ He sat up from his position, arms folded over his chest. _"There were moles in Overwatch around the time the explosion happened. I'm just doin' a little spring cleaning."_

"Spring cleaning? And you think we're a part of what happened all those years ago? Are you _kidding_ me? None of your closest friends would do that to you."

She was angry now too, probably more than McCree. Lena thought back to the information disclosed to her about the explosion. What Gabriel was saying could have been a likely scenario. While infighting was happening within the organization at the time, there was no way that was the cause of the explosion. The way it was set up…it seemed like an assassination.

Whoever set it up wanted both Gabriel and Jack out of the picture. But…who was he working with to get his revenge?

"Gabe…who are you working for?"

He opened his mouth to say something, and the door swung open. Seventy-six entered the room, his heavy pulse rifle absent from his hands. The interruption wasn't welcome, but he's been rather quiet since they captured and confined Gabriel. Maybe he knew something they didn't?

"He's working for Talon." Both McCree and Lena's heads snapped in Seventy-six's direction. "I know this because I've been hunting him since he surfaced as Reaper."

The sudden appearance of black mist and his visage degenerating once again confirmed what he had said. Nothing came to their minds but the word 'why?'. Gabriel fought against Talon while he was alive. They had to have given him something he couldn't refuse, or severely brainwashing him into thinking Overwatch really _was_ the problem instead of them. The problem was under his nose but he couldn't see it. And that's what Talon wanted it to stay as.

" _Nice for you to make your appearance, boyscout. And I'm working_ _ **with**_ _them, not for them."_

"Still bad, _Reaper._ You are a liability, and the fact that you're still breathing is by our mercy."

" _Leavin' you alive was a mistake, bitch."_

"Alright, enough." Lena's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion. It took most of her self-control to not want to break Gabriel's jaw. There was still quite a bit that had to be done. She still had to take a large chunk of flesh and blood for the second base to his treatments, and had to finish rebuilding her gear. She'll argue with him later. "I need to get started on making his treatments. Clear the room."

"But—"

"Once I finish, you both can come back. Feel free to tell them what we've learned, so they don't feel the need to chew me out more than they already do."

Seventy-six left without a word, and McCree followed albeit reluctantly. When the door closed, Lena relaxed a bit. The heavy tension still remained, and once again she was left with more questions than answers. She grabbed the scalpel and moved towards him, motioning to his left arm.

"Are you going to co-operate while I do this? Or do I have to sedate you?"

Gabriel held out his arm without a word, looking away from her. She carefully made small incisions around the area of her choice, and used the tweezers to grab the flesh she cut out and transferred it to a small container for synthesizing. After she washed her hands, she grabbed a syringe now, testing the needle before walking back to him. She still needed to get some of his blood for the second base.

"Just gotta get some blood…if there's some left in you."

She was gentle with the insertion of the needle, pulling the plunger to draw out whatever was left in his veins. The black ectoplasm she had seen from the shrapnel she pulled from his body started to build up in the syringe, and she withdrew it. Gabriel grunted from the initial pain, then settled back into silence. She muttered a quiet apology before grabbing the vial and filling it up and setting it in the centrifuge to separate, if it were possible. The ectoplasm was more fluid than coagulated this time, so she had hope. After setting the time and letting it spin, Lena walked to the closet, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a tank top she believed would fit him and tossed it in his direction.

"It's gonna take some time, so go get changed into something more…comfortable."

Crimson hues eyed the articles of clothing as if they were foreign objects, but it was more so out of nostalgia than anything. He then looked at Lena, studying her demeanor. Even after all he's done to her over the span of two days, she didn't truly register him as a threat. She was more relaxed than most people would be around a murderer. What if what she said was the truth? Is that why she wasn't afraid? She knew what he refused to acknowledge?

" _Go do whatever you need to do. I don't need a constant chaperone."_

"Fine. You know where to find me." She left to return to her lab, leaving Gabriel on his own. He stripped out of his bloody gear, moving it to the side. Gazing down at his body, he could see the black veins vividly. He hated what he was now, a simple wraith that had a dead man's body. Gabriel's been dead, always has been. Why does he still hold onto the name of a man that was barely recognized for his accomplishments when he was human? It should mean nothing to him, but couldn't bear to let his past go. It's what gave him purpose, what keeps him motivated for vengeance.

Lena's making him rethink his courses of action, though. His memories were still spotty. The faces he's seen around here are without names…save for a few. He changed into the clothing provided for him, the nostalgia growing within him as he exited the room and wandered down the corridor. He had no real destination at the moment, he just wanted to regain a feel of the last place he visited before he took his last breath. Gabriel stopped in front of a door, and opened it. Immediately, the nostalgia turned to anger…and regret.

Just like every office in the building, it was just as he had remembered. The computer resting on the desk was still operational, but he couldn't access it. Overwatch was recommissioned, but he needed a password to use it. He wandered around to the back, where he could see the weapons cache and uniforms hanging in a lone closet. His hands rested on the wall and his head dipped down as he fought to keep his composure under control. All those soldiers…either dead or converted to Talon's cause out of desperation to stay alive and not rotting away in a cell. He was supposed to keep them safe from harm, but he couldn't even do that. The guilt eats him alive more than he would like to admit.

"Intruders detected!"

Athena's warning echoed through the watchpoint, and his head snapped up. He had forgotten about the deadline he had to meet for his final mission, before they considered he betrayed them. Gabriel was never with them to begin with, but they couldn't let go of their trump card. He was just too important to lose in their eyes.

The same couldn't be said for everyone else here. They were in just as much danger as he was.

" _Fuckin' impatient assholes."_ He materialized a set of shotguns behind him and walked out of the room and down the corridor to the lobby.


	8. Chapter 8

The alert kept sounding, and everyone was grabbing their gear and suiting up. Winston tapped away at the keyboard, where a camera stationed outside showed three armored helicopters approaching rapidly. Grabbing his Tesla cannon, he jumped down to even ground and awaited the invasion. What did they want?

"The audio signature matches Talon's air force. I can only assume they are here for Reaper."

"We have to make sure they don't leave with him," Angela said. "Lena's not done with her treatments yet."

Lena ran down the corridor, gunblade in hand. Her metal limbs were yet to be completed, and she didn't know how much help she would be with her gear incomplete. However, leaving her friends to deal with Talon on their own would leave a bad taste in her mouth. She released the blade mechanism, entering a fighting stance in the process. She halted her movements when a lone hand rested on her shoulders, giving a slight tap before he took another step ahead of her.

" _Take a back seat. You're not armored enough to deal with them, and they don't take prisoners."_

"As long as I have a weapon to fight with, I'll be fine. It's not my first run-in with these guys."

" _Even more of a reason for you to lay—you know what, forget it. You're not even gonna listen."_

A chuckle came from her and she quickly recomposed herself for the fight ahead. The helicopter's blades were coming closer until they were right outside the door and suddenly halted. They didn't come in numbers, but they were ready for a fight. Gabriel was an asset too valuable to lose, and the rest of them were becoming a problem quicker than they anticipated.

The lights went out throughout the entire building as the doors opened, and everyone moved out of sight. Seventy-six moved to a position where they could easily be flanked into a choke point, and Genji remained in the rafters for an easier aerial attack. Tracer moved adjacent from Seventy-six, her pulse pistols loaded and ready to go. The doors opened, the red lights coming from their visors flashed against every surface.

That's when they made their move. Seventy-six moved and grabbed the nearest agent, smashing his head against the wall. Another agent moved towards him, but his weapon was elbowed out of his hands and aimed at him. With two pulls of the trigger, he was dead on the ground. Tracer blinked across the entire area, gunning one down and moving onto the next. Those who escaped past those two were immediately taken down by either Genji's shuriken or Gabriel's shotguns. Everything was going according to plan.

Until an armored Talon agent made their appearance. He carried a large gatling gun, the long line of bullets trailing behind him and slowly disappearing as he pulled the trigger. Everyone hid behind cover, staying out of the bullets' path. Gabriel turned into his wraith form, narrowly avoiding the barrage of bullets and moving to cover as well. Getting behind the man would've been useless, as his shotguns weren't powerful enough to chip the armor away and get to safety.

"Reinhardt, we need your force field!"

"I'm on it! Get behind me!" The lion insignia on his left forearm lit up as the force field formed and he took a primary stance. It had its limits, so whatever they could do to get the armor off and eliminate the threat had to be done quickly and precisely before the force field failed and he had to disengage. Seventy-six fired a barrage of helix rockets at the man's position, creating a momentary break in fire. To everyone's disbelief, Lena made a move by taking advantage of the break in fire. She jumped into the air, with Genji behind her, and began moving almost in a blur to attack. The sound of metal clashing with the armor filled the air, and from a distance it didn't look like they were doing anything. After a few seconds, the gatling gun fell from his hands as he collapsed to the ground. His armor broke off in pieces and blood poured from his wounds. Reinhardt withdrew his shield once he was sure the threat was neutralized. The battle was won…for now.

"With how many helicopters they showed up with, I thought they would've came in droves," Winston said, looking around. "Maybe this was a warning, instead of a takeover."

Confusion made Gabriel furrow his brows. Was Talon suddenly getting sloppy out of desperation? There was no way it was this easy. Someone had to be here, lingering until they had the perfect chance to strike. He looked up in the rafters, and sure enough, he could see the outline of a woman standing in the shadows. She made no movement, but her eyes were locked onto him and him alone. The rifle's barrel lengthened and she took her shot. He crouched down, ducking and the bullet missing his body narrowly.

" _You…I know you."_ He stood back up, aiming another set of shotguns at her. He remembered seeing her a while back, when they attempted to steal the Doomfist from the Overwatch museum. It was a failure, of course. _"You're bold to come here, woman."_

"Indeed I am _._ But my mission is not yet complete." Her French accent was strong, making her more alluring than she seemed. She flicked in her hand what looked like a button of some sorts. "Or rather, yours isn't. Talon has sent me to retrieve you, Reaper. Comply willingly, and I will leave your _colleagues_ alive…maybe."

The strategy of using his friends as the reward for going with her usually wouldn't work with him, but this time it made him reconsider his stance. The human side of him wanted to agree, but he also wanted to stamp her out right here. She was their best shadow agent, and killing her would limit their reach significantly. Lena also had her treatments to complete, and she wouldn't hesitate to get him back if he chose to walk out of here to save their lives on an assassin's word alone. His hands were tied no matter how he looked at his options, and the time limit to decide was short.

"Gabe!" McCree's voice echoed off the walls while he was still in cover. The grip on his revolver tightened as he fought the urge to shoot at the woman above them. It was not his place to do so…not right now. "If you're half the man I remember you to be, you _won't_ go back Talon. You're better than that!"

Gabriel's gaze pulled away from the woman, giving his options one more thought before he made his decision. Once he was sure, he looked up at her. He threw his shotguns away, portraying complete submission.

"… _Now, promise to keep your word?"_

" _Bien sur, mon cher."_

He walked one step, then two. In his peripheral vision, he could see Seventy-six quietly moving to a position where he could see her fully. The footsteps continued slowly towards the entrance, as if to leave. That's when Seventy-six fired a set of helix rockets at her position, knocking her down like before. She was the same woman whom he and Lena fought at the airport. He should've guessed that she would have followed them here eventually.

"Hey, I know who you are! You were in England, when you killed Mondatta!" Tracer had her pulse pistols in each hand without a second thought, and she blinked herself across the room with a rapid onslaught of shots being fired. "I'm gonna make you regret what you've done!"

The woman raised her head, her gaze as cold as ice. She was distracted now, and Lena walked towards Gabriel and pulled him back from the doors. She started a sprint back down the hallway and outside to somewhere safe. Her feet never stopped moving until she stopped in front of the nearest door. The main planning room…it was a secure area and had a lockdown mechanism that could be activated independently if need be. She ran inside, looking around for the lever that needed to be pulled.

"Stay here, I gotta—" She paused in her frantic strides, as Gabriel was holding his head in his hands now. "…What's wrong?"

" _Hurts…it hurts!"_ He was biting hard on his tongue, cries of pain ringing out through his teeth. Lena was approaching him, and he held out a hand to keep her at bay. _"D-Don't touch me!"_

"Gabriel, what're you—" She stepped back as he swung on her suddenly. His demeanor had changed to what she had faced not too long ago. It was more unnerving now than it was then, since she was alone and was basically defenseless. Her legs forced her to move back and away, but not fast enough to avoid his grasp. He tackled her to the ground, his hands wrapping around her neck and strangling her. Lena's vision quickly became blurred and spotty as she tried to wrest him away. As a last attempt before she lost consciousness, she rammed the heel of her palm into his nose. Gabriel's grip soon released, stumbling back as his eyes watered. It gave her a chance to run, and she stumbled to her feet and out of the planning room.

As she sprinted back to the main area of the watchpoint, she didn't have to look back to see if he was hot on her heels. She could hear his heavy footsteps directly behind her, and if she stopped, he'd kill her without much hesitation. Lena ran towards the sound of gunfire and fighting. The woman from before was putting up a fight. She had to give her credit for her skills where it's due. McCree noticed her frantic looks and lack of breath and made his way to her.

"What happened?" He inquired, looking around for the woman…and for Gabriel. "Where's Gabe? He was with you!"

"S-Something happened to him and that woman has something to do with it…it just occurred to me that she was holding something in her hand when we were talking…she kept saying his mission wasn't complete."

"They sure want us outta the picture, that's for sure." His prosthetic hand shot out to hold her up, his other hand firmly holding his revolver. However, he could not bring himself to shoot his father figure when he came around the corner. He looked crazier than he does now, his face barely holding on to human qualities. Something was definitely wrong, and the fact that this happened in less than two minutes made this an even more dire situation. Just how much of a hold do they have on him? "Ah, hell…"

Gabriel charged towards them, and McCree's aim did not waver. Out of desperation, he fanned the hammer of his revolver, the bullets wildly shooting from the barrel and towards him. The bullets completely missed their target, as he switched into his wraith form and disappeared into thin air.

"Damn it all, he's gone!" McCree reloaded his weapon and turned around. The woman was disengaging, as she now had what she needed. Lena chased after her, darting through the double doors. Tracer followed, calling her name constantly as an attempt to get her to stop rethink her decision.

"Lena, he's already gone! There's no point in following her!"

"All of my work will be for nothing if they—" Out the corner of her eye, she spotting a glowing red light that exploded with light purple mist. Her lungs burned and she fell to the ground, coughing. Lena gazed up, seeing both the woman and Gabriel looking at her before finally escaping. Her head fell back onto the ground, exhaustion truly setting in. All the work she put into her treatments for Gabriel…just to take him back. It felt like she was back at square one once again. She just felt completely defeated. Angela used her wings and flew to her position, using her caduceus staff to heal what she could on her. No words were spoken, since the sorrowful look on Tracer's face said everything.

They had failed to keep Gabriel in their hands, and their chance of redeeming him probably disappeared along with him.

* * *

There was little to no conversation taking place inside of the watchpoint, let alone inside Lena's private quarters. She laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Angela had ordered her to bedrest for a day or two, but she had no intentions of lying still. Too much work had to be done, and she was confined to a bed. Not that it mattered much. Gabriel's treatment was yet to be synthesized and completed, and she had yet to finish reconstructing her gear. She winced a little, a lone hand coming up to gently palm her neck. It was sore, and she didn't need to gaze into a mirror to see the bruising that his hands had caused. Her gaze shifted to her bathroom, and McCree stepped out into the open with a towel over his wet hair. He sat down next to her, pulling the blanket back to look at her bruised neck. He muttered a silent string of curses under his breath, then returned the blanket to how he found it.

"…So, he just snapped? Just like that? No warnin', no nothin'?"

"He was complaining about his head hurting, and he told me to get away from him. In the same breath, his change was sudden." She sat up slowly, her hand shooting up to feel the extent of the damage around her neck. It shook her to the core how fast things went downhill. "…The only thing I could do was run. I don't know why I didn't swing my blade at him."

"It's not your fault. None of us expected it. That woman was. If that's what happened, then his sudden outburst wasn't…wasn't natural."

McCree never really recovered from the shock of learning that Reaper has been Gabriel this entire time. He always knew there were similarities, he just wished he was wrong sometimes. It enraged him to know that he had been disillusioned into thinking that they were the problem instead of the other way around. It complicated things greatly knowing how far the corruption by Talon spread. He looked back at Lena, who had a hand placed over her eyes. She was crying, out of frustration. He hated how much she was blaming herself for this. Cautiously, he pulled her into his arms.

"…Darlin', it's not your fault. Never was. We just have to rethink our strategy and start recruitin'. That's all."

Lena most certainly hoped so. She broke away from McCree, wiping her eyes. Failure was no longer an option.

"Then let's get started."


	9. Chapter 9

It has been three days since the incident, and the most that had been done was the completion of Gabriel's treatment and Lena's combat suit. After she finished those tasks, she started working on recruiting help for their cause. No one knows what ends she used to get information, but it was better than nothing. McCree stayed near her, occasionally helping out whenever she needed it. She hasn't slept since, and it was beginning to show in her face. She just…didn't look well.

Even after what he told her, Lena still believed everything that occurred was her fault. He just couldn't find the right words to tell her otherwise. It…made him angry. When he caught her walking down the hallway, he pulled her to the side.

"Lena, you gotta rest. You can't keep goin' like this."

"…I appreciate the concern McCree, but I've gone way longer without rest. I'll be fine."

"It's still not good." He heaved a sigh, both his hands resting on her shoulders now. "Did you bring any luggage with you?"

"I…left my stuff at the airport when I was dealing with…that woman." Just remembering what transpired at the airport and at the watchpoint made her angrier overtime. "You're not gonna go and get my stuff, are you? There's no guarantee it's still there."

"Airports have lost and founds. Should still be there, especially if they're still repairin' everythin'. Lemme go get your things, and you go relax. _Away_ from your work."

"But…" The glare received by McCree was hard and menacing, and she merely sighed and folded her arms. They needed all the help they could get, and there was no time to relax. But, McCree had a point. She wasn't her usual self, and she was running on fumes. Even though she felt fine, her body felt the opposite. Best listen to it now instead of waiting for the consequences to take hold. "Fine. It's a medium sized red suitcase and a matching tote to go along with it. Should have my name and everything on it somewhere."

"Got it." He saved it to memory, and walked off. Lena slowly wandered to her private quarters, shutting the door and then leaning against it. At the moment, she couldn't force herself to move anymore. Her mind wandered as she brought her knees to her chest, her head dipping down slightly. She felt helpless, and she hasn't felt like this in a long time.

 _If only I finished my gear…everything would be a little simpler. But now I have to start from the beginning, because of my mistake._

* * *

 _Heels clicked behind Jack, following him frantically. She had given Gabriel a request—to pick up energy cores for weapons testing. Lena was against this, but the UN wanted to increase their strength with this new technology. She merely had to create prototypes from the material given. Easier said than done when the squad dispatched to retrieve said equipment is pinned down and needs immediate med evac._

" _Morrison, they need help! We can't abandon them like this."_

" _The mission is top priority, Lena. If they don't survive, there is nothing we can do for them. Giving them what they asked for puts more of our soldiers in danger."_

" _So you're saying they're expendable?" Her voice rose in tone quickly, unable to believe what she was hearing. It only pissed her off more when Jack continued walking. "Jack!"_

" _I can't give them what they asked for. Sorry."_

 _She turned away, swallowing thickly as dread began to build up in her chest. Gabriel's team was pinned down by a small team of omnics and it's apparent they needed relief immediately. Jack refused to give them support, but he didn't say he couldn't go in their place. That's when an idea popped in her head. She quickly made her way to the Blackwatch offices and opened the door._

" _There should be some uniforms left in the back…" Lena scrambled to the back, opening the closets and grabbing the necessary gear. She ran back out and back to her lab, where she grabbed her own gear and put that on first before putting on the Blackwatch gear. They were not far from the watchpoint, but she needed to make haste. If things are as bad as they seem, most of them weren't going to make it. She slipped out the back on a motorcycle, quickly making her way to the mission site._

 _When she got there…it was just as she had feared._

 _Destruction was everywhere, that was normal. But the amount of blood spilled and no bodies in sight…it startled her. It meant that Gabriel's squad was alive, but not for long. The sound of gunfire was loud, and not far from her current position. Lena sprinted towards the carnage, and hid behind some debris. There were four Bastion units slowly advancing towards the group in recon mode. Things were looking_ _ **really**_ _bad._

 _She glanced downward, muttering a string of curses under her breath. Off to the side was an anti-material rifle, but she was unsure if it was loaded or if she could deadlift it long enough to shoot off a round. It usually came with a stock, and earplugs. Her combat gear could dispatch of them easily, but it would take the squad with them. She couldn't afford to be reckless and attack head-on. No, she had to pick them off and lure them to her. To give them a chance to disengage and call for the nearest support point to pick them up._

 _Lena grabbed the rifle and headed towards a hill so she could move to a good vantage point. The grass in the particular area was tall, and could hide her and the rifle with ease. She crawled along the ground, levelling the scope with her targets. The Bastions were advancing quickly and time was running out. She checked the clip that was inside the rifle, taking a deep breath when it was full. It was probably never even used. Lining up her shot, she pulled the trigger, a loud boom being heard shortly after. The recoil was huge, the scope almost bashing her in the eye. She looked through the scope, to see if the shot hit its mark. Luckily, it did. The remaining Bastions looked away from the squad, scanning their surroundings to find the unknown threat. They were immediately picked off, their heads completely destroyed from the impact. The rifle was no more of use and she discarded it and headed down to their position._

"… _Mother of god, what happened!?"_

 _Soldiers were littered upon the ground, bleeding but still alive. McCree had gashes and cuts all over him, blood staining his uniform in large patches. All of them looked pretty bad, but none more so than Gabriel. He was shot in more than one place, blood pearling at the corner of his mouth as he coughed. His shotguns rested on either side of him, the cartridges empty and desperately needing to be reloaded. His upper clothing was taken off to put pressure on his wounds, but they were too blood soaked to be of any use. Most would've been dead by now, and his only saving grace was the supersoldier serum pulsing through his veins. He gazed up with little strength he had to look at her._

" _What're…you doin' here, Lena…?" Even though he was in tremendous pain, he still could afford to be angry at her. "I thought I told you to stay at the watchpoint…"_

 _She said nothing as she knelt down next to him, holding back her tears. McCree was doing his best to stop the bleeding. "This…is all my fault, isn't it? Your squad's injured, and no extra help is coming…god, you need to call the nearest support point for extraction. You're not gonna last. I'll go and get the energy cores myself, you guys go on back to—"_

" _Like hell you are…!" With a loud roar of pain, he stood back up on his feet. Adrenaline was coursing through him now, numbing his pain enough so he could move around. "No one gets left behind, Lena…you're comin' with us."_

" _Boss, your wounds." McCree tied a knot with the last of what remained of Gabriel's upper clothing. It would have to last for now. "Darlin', we gotta cut our losses where we can. Come on back with us, we'll explain to Morrison what—"_

" _I said I'm gonna go get the energy cores, dammit! Send a truck back at my position when you guys are out of danger!" She walked away from them, and towards the objective. In the distance, she could see the cores, and they were large. But why were the Bastion units protecting them? Just how significant were they? She grabbed onto the handle of one of the cores and pulled it to her. It was glowing with a bright neon blue light as she examined it._

 _A lone hand rested on her shoulder, which made her jump. She turned around, her limbs glowing as she prepared to release a large blast of power. She relaxed when she realized it was just Gabriel and McCree._

" _Truck's here, Lena. Let's go." She looked back at the energy cores, and smiled. Both of them were a little bit uneasy. "What's that look for?"_

" _Looks like you guys are gonna complete your mission after all. I'll load up the cores, you just get on the truck."_

" _What about you…?" Gabriel asked. "I'm not leavin' you behind."_

" _I'm not going back with you guys. I'm not even supposed to be here, so…let's keep it that way. I'll be waiting for you at the watchpoint."_

 _After loading up the energy cores, Lena teleported back to the watchpoint. Gabriel, with McCree supporting him, limped back to the truck reluctantly and got on. When they got back, Angela and her medical staff were waiting on them. Most were able to be worked on immediately, but those who couldn't were given painkillers just to hold them over. Gabriel was taken back into the one of the intensive care areas and all bullets and shrapnel were removed._

 _Lena changed back into her lab coat and business wear and ran to the infirmary to assist, if she could. Angela was frantically searching for more medical salve and sutures, and blood transfusions were running low. She reached into a cabinet above her and grabbed more vials, sighing and running to the back._

" _How many CCs of morphine?"_

" _Ten should be enough for Reyes. Give small amounts of hydrocodone to the rest."_

" _Yes ma'am."_

 _It didn't take long to stabilize most of the injured soldiers. Luckily, their injuries were not as bad as they seemed. Lena approached McCree, who couldn't seem to sit still in his assigned bed. "…Glad to see you're better than you're looking."_

" _I'm not the one you gotta worry about, I'll live. Why'd you stop here? Shouldn't you go see Gabe?"_

" _I…wanted to make sure all of you made it back in one piece. Just glad the mission was finished with everyone intact." She paused, noticing how bloody his bandages were getting already. "Look, just stay still and listen to what Angela says. I'll be back."_

" _Heh, no promises."_

 _Going further into the infirmary, she could see how badly Gabriel looked. He was still conscious and alert, something completely remarkable with his injuries. Lena slowly made her way over to his bedside, her hand resting on the metal railing. The look he gave her made her rub the back of her neck out of nervousness._

" _You're…gonna scold me, huh?"_

" _Why do you never listen to what I say?" He scolded. Even though he disapproved of her actions, the results were satisfactory. Holding her dead body in his arms would've haunted him more than he could admit. "I don't say it because I don't trust you, I just want you safe."_

" _We're soldiers, Gabe. It's what we do so others don't have to." Her hands dropped from the cold steel as she folded her arms. Her gaze wavered to the floor. "But…I should've been faster. That way, none of you would've been—"_

" _It's…not your fault. I should've seen those units from afar. The blame falls on me. Either way, the mission's complete, and the UN's happy for now."_

 _A sigh was her only answer for a while. "…I don't understand what they want me to do with the damn cores. And for all the crap you guys went through just to find them…they'd better be worth it, or Morrison's not gonna like me."_

" _Heh…don't worry about me, I'll be up and movin' before you know it. Just go see what you can do with the cores. Make our hard work worth it."_

* * *

Lena came back into focus as soon as she heard a knock at her door. She got up, opening the door to see Genji standing in the doorway. He looked a little guilty for disturbing her, even though she was doing practically nothing the entire duration of her time in the room.

"Um, Lena…I have some info that might be of use to you."

"What is it?" She asked. "Is it about the recruiting?"

"Yes. I had a person in mind, that would likely help us…if we play our cards right."

Silence filled the room as she began to think. Genji was the son of a feared yakuza boss when he was alive. He also dismantled his own family empire out of revenge, and roamed for a purpose shortly after Overwatch's downfall. She also remembered he had an older brother, whom was responsible for his near fatal injuries. He didn't mean him, did he?

"Genji, are you…talking about your brother?" She had to pop the question. There was no way he was serious about this. "The same person who caused your injuries?"

"Yes, the same. I know it sounds… _crazy,_ but…it is better than nothing." He could see the hesitation and worry in her features, but he was adamant on his decision. "Our last meeting was less than satisfactory, but I think if you go to Japan to plead your case, he will take you seriously."

"…Approach the southern dragon as if I am one of his kind, huh?" Hanzo embodied more of the yakuza lifestyle than Genji, apparently. And after their previous encounter, he probably wouldn't listen to him anyway. An unknown person was necessary for this to work, and that person was Lena herself. "It's a stretch Genji, but I'll try. You'll be coming with, right?"

"Of course. You will be doing the talking. But first, please rest. You need a clear head, Lena."

She simply nodded, and he slowly shut the door behind her. Lena walked over to her bed, plopping straight on top of the bedding. She had no desire to sleep still, her mind still wandering with scenarios that possibly could have made their current situation better somehow. But what's done is done.

"God, Gabriel…where are you now?"

* * *

McCree pulled up to the airport, putting the car in park and exiting with Tracer. The exterior remained untouched from the carnage that ensued here not too long ago. However, the airport itself seemed abandoned…which was highly alarming. He palmed his revolver and entered the building.

"Something's not right here," He said. "Since when is an airport quiet?"

"Maybe it's naptime for everyone?" Tracer suggested, shrugging her shoulders. McCree didn't see the comedy at the moment, and motioned for her to follow. "Sorry."

He opened the doors, his eyes widening when he looked around the airport interior. Scaffoldings were built, but where were the construction workers? Then he saw the blood. God, it was everywhere. In front of them were Lena's suitcase and matching tote. It was too deliberate for it to be this easy. But who was here?

When McCree approached the bags, a small stream of black mist appeared in front of them. Instead of his traditional black outfit, Gabriel was dressed in all white, with a chrome owl mask as the finish. It was completely out of character, and McCree only tensed up more. His hand reached out for the bags slowly, his eyes unable to leave his mentor's visage.

"What're you doin' here?" He questioned, finally grabbing the handle of the red suitcase. "Lena has everythin' ready for you. You…you need to come back."

Gabriel's appearance here wasn't a coincidence. A pair of white shotguns materialized in his hands as his eyes never left the two people standing right in front of them. It was a warning to them, to keep them on edge. To let them know Talon was onto their plans.

And what better way to show dominance by waving precious bait right in front of you, and yanking it right back?

"I'll get the bags," Tracer volunteered, reaching forward to grab the suitcase and tote bag. "Come on. We can't do anything for 'im. Not right now."

But McCree didn't want to leave. He was right there in front of him, the opportunity as clear as day. The problem was that he wasn't strong enough. He couldn't handle Gabriel if he started a rampage. The only person that could stand against him was Lena, and she was more than motivated. But she was so drained physically, that even with her suit repaired she wouldn't be able to do much. So at the moment, he had no choice but to take her bags and leave. No point in biting off more than he can chew. He bit down on the inside of his cheek and released his grip on the revolver.

"Jesse!"

"…I'm comin'." He followed Tracer, and helped her load up the car before getting inside and leaving. In the distance, the woman used her grappling hook to slowly lower herself to Gabriel's position. Heels clicked against tiles, a slight smirk appearing over discolored features.

"Ah, they're leaving. Do you think that was wise, _cher?"_ She watched as the car pulled off rather quickly. Gabriel's shotguns disintegrated into nothing, and he began to walk away. "You must still have some self-awareness left if you let those two live. And that woman…what was her name? Lena? If you didn't hesitate those two times, she'd already be dead."

" _If you value your life, Widowmaker…you'll keep her name outta your mouth. She's not yours to worry about. She's_ _ **mine."**_

The hostility in his voice when he mentioned Lena did make her flinch a bit. Gabriel was better off being an ally than an enemy. However, she would be a liar to say that his relations to Lena didn't interest her. Anything to have an edge over her adversaries was appreciated.

"Hmm, very well. Let us return to headquarters."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: aha, finally uploaded another chapter. It took longer than I wanted due to my constant mood drops. Enjoy nonetheless!**

* * *

An hour or two had passed—Lena had stopped counting—since she had talked with Genji. She wanted to get to the airport to book a flight to Japan, but…she remembered what had occurred not too long ago. She couldn't go anywhere even if she wanted to. Groaning came from her when she could not seem to get comfortable to sleep.

"Ugh, what is going on with me?" Rising from her bed, she began to pace back and forth while rubbing at her temples. Another knock at her door caused her to sigh, but she opened it anyway. It was Angela, holding a manila folder in her hand as she entered. Lena wondered what it contained. "…What's up, Angie?"

"Um, I'm sorry to bother you." She moved out of the way of the door as it shut. "I, uh…used that piece of Gabriel's flesh to do a test on the treatment you created. The results were… _odd,_ to say the least."

"How so?" She asked. If there were any negative effects, she needed to know so she could modify the treatment. Lena wouldn't give him anything that would cause him more pain…if she could help it. "Just tell me, please."

"Uh…his cells degenerated and regenerated at a much more accelerated rate than usual, then they stabilized back to how they were supposed to be. I didn't think it was possible, but…we might be able to get him back to being as human as possible, Lena. You did it."

She chuckled at that, collapsing on the bed and sighing. The progress was remarkable, but without Gabriel here, it was technically useless now. His cells going haywire and then stabilizing meant that he would be in extreme pain for a set amount of time and then he would return to normal…mostly. It was better than nothing.

"Didn't do nothing yet. Gabriel's not here for me to use it on him, and I'm not allowed to do anything for the meantime."

"You're selling yourself short." Angela frowned, sitting on the bed next to her. "We're only telling you to step away from your work because you've been at it relentlessly for three days. You need sleep, _not_ more coffee and energy drinks. You've made more strides than I have during that time than I have in ten years. That's saying a lot. You deserve a break."

"Yeah, but…" She just wanted everything to go right for once, but it was just unrealistic. She didn't even know that if she recruited the people she asked for would respond, and Lena feared that she was just grasping at straws. She couldn't allow Talon to gather any more strength, and she had to get Gabriel back for starters. "If we can get Gabriel back, I'll probably relax more. He's the building block for Talon's power. His tactical knowledge makes him high priority, and that's not even including his combat skills. I just…I don't just want him back as an ally. I want my friend back."

"I know…I know. But first, rest. I'm sure you have a course of action to go by when you wake up, and I want to go with you…wherever that is."

Just as Lena started to say something else, yet again the door to her room opened. In the doorway stood McCree and Tracer. They were back from the airport already with her bags? That was pretty fast. She noticed their grim expressions and raised an eyebrow. Something bad happened, she was sure of it.

"What's wrong with you two?" She asked. That was when Angela excused herself from the room to allow them to talk. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"We…didn't see a ghost, but it damn sure felt like it." McCree took a seat next to her on the bed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "…Gabriel was there when we arrived."

"What?" That instantly got her attention. "Why was he there?"

"I…I dunno. Maybe givin' us a warnin'? S'not too clear right now."

"Talon must have somethin' big planned," Tracer added. "Either that or they're toyin' with us."

Lena resumed her deep thinking. Gabriel showing up shortly after being taken again? It doesn't make sense to her. She held her head in her hands, a small pulse of pain radiating at her temples. Her body was beginning to take matters into its own hands if she didn't start resting now.

"I…can't make too much sense of it, either. We'll…talk more later. I need to sleep."

"Mkay." Tracer exited, but McCree remained. He removed his shoes and sat on the opposite side of the bed, making himself comfortable. Lena gave him a look, which was all she could muster before she collapsed onto the pillow behind her.

"Why're you still in here? I can sleep alone." They had done this once before, mostly because of his concern of Lena pushing herself too far and collapsing on the job. That entire week was grueling from what he remembered, but more so for Lena. Her ability to crank out new weapons on the fly and send them out to the field after testing them was…damn near inhuman. But now she was pushing herself even harder than that. It worried him greatly. McCree opened his arms, inviting her to lay against him. She reluctantly did so, her head resting on his chest. His slightly quickened heartbeat was easily heard, and it was soothing to her.

"This is just to make sure you don't go roamin' about in the middle of the night. And for my own comfort."

"I don't…sleepwalk, but I understand your concern." Her free arm rested on top of his stomach, making herself as comfortable as possible without making things more awkward then they already are. "Did Gabriel say anything to you when you were there?"

"He didn't say anythin'. Although…in his condition, I don't think he could. He didn't attack us, so I think he's still in there…somewhere."

She felt a little comfort wash over her still tense body and she closed her eyes. There was still hope, which means she still had a chance to help him. But how were they going to even get close to Gabriel the way that he is now? It seemed like suicide at this point.

"There's still hope…I believe we can still help him, Jesse. Do you think he can be helped? Or…is he beyond salvation?"

McCree thought for a moment, sorting through all of the events that took place over the course of the past two days. They were getting somewhere for a while. But this playing tug-o-war with Talon…someone was going to lose their grip sooner or later. He hoped that Gabriel would land over in their territory when this is all over. It was…tiring, to say the least.

"…He can be helped. I know he can. If he's still the man I idolized when I worked under 'im…he can be helped."

* * *

Sweat beaded all over his body, breathing quick and labored. Red marks appeared on desaturated skin, his face barely holding onto human qualities. His head lifted slowly, glaring beyond the two-way mirror. His body shook from a sudden chill as the electricity was turned off. Relief…but probably only for a moment.

" _Shock torture…? You're sick…"_

"Me, sick?" Widowmaker chuckled. "You're still non-compliant, _mon cher._ I'm doing you a favor. If only you'd stop resisting the inevitable…this would be much easier."

" _I'm not workin' for you f—"_ Gabriel let out a loud roar of agony, then his head drooped down again. He took deep breaths again when the controlled shocks ceased. He pulled against the cuffs that held him in place, as he was too weak to turn into wraith form. _"…Fuck!"_

"Losing interest already? You disappoint me, Reaper. We've barely started. _Faisons monter les enchères, nous?"_

He was biting down on his tongue, the radiation of pain slowly reaching unbearable levels. He knew what they wanted, and he refused to give them the satisfaction to see him how he saw himself on a daily basis. Broken. Disgusting. Monstrous. Gabriel forced himself to retain his normal look, breathing though the pain as another surge of electricity coursed through him.

" _Stop…stop this now-!"_

"I refuse to stop until you comply. You just have to stop resisting."

The torture just continued to drag on, until Gabriel could no longer tell when the surges stopped or began. Sweat poured off of him more and more, to the point that the metal chair he was sitting in was becoming slick. He wanted this to grant him death, so he could be free of this pain. As he saw Widowmaker's hand reach for the dial, he narrowed his eyes. His breathing still labored to the point of hyperventilating, but he never broke eye contact with her. Then everything went dark.

" _Qu'est-ce que c'est?_ A blackout? But how—" A loud grunt came from the shadow agent, and she landed on the ground with a thud. The door that had separated her from the room and into the chamber opened, a cloaked form entering and going behind him to release him from his cuffs. Gabriel sat there, slightly limp and confused.

" _Who…who are you?"_

"Who I am is not important at the moment." The voice was feminine and smooth, like that of a young woman. It was still dark, but light streaks of purple could be seen underneath of their cloak. She dropped a bag in front of him, returning her attention to the door. "I can only keep the power off for a little while longer until they override my code. Can you get dressed?"

Gabriel was wary of the woman, but apparently she was here to help. Who was he to refuse? Still, he was too prideful to say he _needed_ said help. He'll keep that to himself.

"… _I just got electrocuted, what do you think?"_

"Fine, just follow me. I gotta get you outta here." She grabbed the bag she tossed at his feet, placing the strap of it around her neck and running out of the small room. Gabriel followed, as quickly as he could muster. His body still shook violently, his physical form becoming somewhat unstable due to his recent torture. More footsteps were coming towards them, and it seemed as though the cloaked woman noticed as well. She pushed him back, then pressed a few buttons on her gauntlet. He couldn't tell what was happening, since the power had been cut. "I'll take care of interference. Don't move from this spot."

Gabriel grumbled, silently threatening to disobey. But he was too weak to. The wall became his support as everything became silent. The sounds of struggle were heard, then silence came again. A short time later, and the cloaked woman came back and grabbed his hand to lead him to the outside. He was barely hanging onto consciousness now. One moment, the woman ran off. Then, he was being loaded into a car. His body rested on the cool black leather, taking a moment to breathe. He felt the vehicle speed off shortly after, then silence. Gabriel sat up as much as he could muster, the black mist emanating from his body.

" _Mind tellin' me…who you are? If we met before, just…jog my memory."_

"I gave you information on both Jack _and_ Talon. Spoon fed you info that got you into their ranks via a 'business deal'?"

The silence just dragged on as Gabriel was putting two and two together. His head snapped up, staring right into the mirror.

" _Huh…so you're that expert hacker. I thought you'd never show up again."_

"Hey, the name's Sombra. I was expecting some gratitude for getting you outta that situation back there. But I guess I'm asking for too much."

"… _Whatever."_

She smirked to herself, relieved that the cloak still hid her face. Her expression probably would have pissed him off more than he already was. Her foot pressed harder on the gas pedal, speeding up. She wanted to be sure that none of Talon's lackeys were following them. With how determined they were to condition him, she would not be surprised if they sent a full battalion to retrieve him.

"…When we get to my hideout, I have some questions to ask you."

" _Oh great, more questioning. My favorite past time."_

The sarcasm was heavy in his tone, as to be expected. It was all she usually heard from him whenever they talked. She chuckled to herself and Gabriel relaxed against the leather. His guard wasn't fully down, but he was relaxed enough to think. He thought about what Lena and the others were doing. Was she trying to get him back? Were the others desperate enough to go on a wild goose chase? Deep down, a pang of regret settled in his chest. If he hadn't collapsed at her door, she'd probably back in her normal life. He felt…a little guilty.

He laid his head back down against the cool leather, his eyes closing as he became lost in his thoughts.

 _Don't do anythin' stupid, Lena. Please._


	11. Chapter 11

Lena's eyes fluttered open, letting out a light yawn before sitting up. McCree's hands unraveled from around her, giving her a slight spook. She sighed, placing a palm against her face as she stood up to shake some of her haze away. She was able to get some sleep, finally. But how much did it set her back? She exited her quarters as quietly as possible to not disturb him, walking down the corridor to her weapons lab. Did any of the requests she put in go through? She wanted to check.

Opening the door to her office, she sat down in her chair, turning on her computer. Her emails loaded immediately and she searched through them, reading each one carefully. Some were hits, and some were misses. It just meant that she had to be a little more creative in her approach.

Just as she tried to get some work done, she heard the automatic doors open and close with Seventy-six standing in the doorway. She could feel his cold stare all the way across the room and through his visor.

"Worried about me?" She had to break the silence, there was only so much she could take.

"Why're you up?" He asked, walking towards the desk. It's been about twelve hours, but she should still get more rest in his eyes. Three days with only twelve hours to compensate? That's nowhere near enough. "Being awake for so long and sleeping so little…you're better than I am, really."

"I've gotten enough sleep to where I'm coherent. I'm fine." In reality, she was more restless than she could remember. Also, she hasn't had enough time to ask him any questions since she's met him. "…I would like to ask you questions about yourself. I never got a chance to…not since all this started."

"There's not much to tell. I abandoned all that I am a few years ago, and now I'm just a vigilante."

"…That's not what I meant." She played around with the holographic screen, still sorting through her mail. "I meant, how'd you meet Gabriel and why you're after him?"

Silence followed her question. Seventy-six looked uneasy, almost disgusted. She eyed him, awaiting an answer. Clearly he was hiding something, but that was not what she was interested in at the moment.

"We've…had a few run-ins before. I saw him take a few lives, intercepted his next kill shortly after. We've been at each other's throats for a while now. I could've almost killed him, too…but you want to save him. Why?"

"Because he deserves a chance." The words flew from her mouth suddenly, and she refused to take them back. She knew Seventy-six couldn't give a damn about Gabriel, but she refused to abandon him. Everything that happened to him _shouldn't_ have happened, but it did. And she wants to help him come to terms with what he is now, or at the very least make it as painless as possible. "I'm not willing to let a friend suffer, and he's shown that he's capable of being saved. I can't…I—"

"Does he really? How many times has he tried to kill you—"

"It was against his will. He stalled twice, and couldn't go through with it. Look…" She stood up, clearing the distance between them. Her blood was simmering, the urge to smack his visor completely off his face slowly becoming a real possibility. Still, she kept her composure. "I'm _saving_ him. Whether you believe it or not, what you're doing isn't much different from what he's doing. _Don't_ demonize Gabriel for events that were out of his jurisdiction. And if you have a problem with what I just said, square up or shut up."

Seventy-six tensed, but not because he wanted to swing at her. He knew that she meant every word she had said. He probably would never understand why she wanted to save someone like Gabriel, but it was not his place to pry. Eyeing her neck to see the bruises that slowly healed, he merely sighed as a reaction. Whatever she had planned had better be good.

"Alright, fine. I'm only here until this mess is resolved, anyway."

"It's better than nothing. I appreciate the help either way." Lena sat back down shortly after, moving the screen around as she opened up more of her emails. She just wanted something to go right for once, and the recruiting was taking longer than she would've liked. Frustration was building within her bones, and she hated the feeling. Seventy-six left the office soon after, allowing Lena to continue her work regardless of everyone's worry.

* * *

The car turned off of the main road and onto a dirt road, then halted. Sombra exited the car momentarily, disappearing out of Gabriel's view. His head felt heavy, and his eyes were refusing to stay open for long periods of time. When he looked up, she was opening up the rear passenger door and pulling him outside. The familiar black mist was emanating from him, probably due to his chronic pain.

"I'll get you situated when we get inside the hideout."

"Mmmn…"

Slowly, they dragged on. The entrance to the hideout was hidden and could only be seen by visual verification. Sombra leaned inward, the light of a laser shooting out and scanning her face in its entirety before the hidden double doors slowly opened up. She carried Gabriel inside, setting him down on the first piece of solid furniture she saw and moved onto her master computer. It was a collection of holoscreens and keyboards, a hub for endless information to be at her fingertips. No wonder she was the most notorious hacker in the world. With a setup like this, anyone could be unstoppable or downright tyrannical.

But while information was the best kind of currency, it wasn't going to help Gabriel's current condition. She returned to his side, holding him up as best she could.

"Damn, you're in quite a bit of pain…isn't there any medicine we could get to help?" She asked. It was a stretch, but something had to work.

"Ugh…no." He slumped over, his body slowly losing human features. How could he tell the expert hacker that if he were injured, he needed human souls to speed up his healing process? It wasn't common knowledge, and even if she knew everything about him, his stance with her remained the same. The black mist swirled around his being as he slowly began to lose his human form. "If you got questions for me, better start asking 'em before I blackout…"

"Okay _amigo,_ I'll start with this one…why were you being tortured in that place? I thought you and Talon were the best of friends."

Before he realized it, he had snorted at her assumption. Gabriel was simply using Talon to further his own gains. After previous events, they were more desperate than ever to get him back. Now, he _had_ no intentions of returning. He's already gotten what he needed, so there was no need to keep milking the cow. Their relations were terminated as far as he was concerned.

"That's quite a stretch, don't ya think? I'm just…a weapon for hire, that's all I ever was. But…why do you care? And why…did you come for me?"

"Heh…I'm not revealing all my cards yet, _tonto._ I'm the best damn hacker in the world for a reason. Buuut…" Multicolored fingers rested on slightly discolored skin, tilting his head up to look at him. "I have been watching you for a while, that's all I'm gonna say. Also, I found something of interest to you."

Sombra walked over to her master computer, pulling out a holocube and opening it in front of what of remained of Gabriel's human form. Emails from the Korean military and various others had been seen. Gabriel wondered how she was able to get access to these secure servers, but there was no point in digging into it. She more than likely covered her tracks thoroughly.

"What do these mean?" He asked.

"They're from an Overwatch server. Emails were sent from there recently to people in Japan, Korea and Rio. Maybe they're recruiting to fight Talon? Who knows, but this gives us leads on what your pals plan to do next."

"I don't see the…significance."

"Talon knows what they plan to do next. Where ever they go, they'll follow."

Gabriel snorted, his body slowly dissolving more and more. If Talon were spying on the Overwatch server, then things were about to get complicated. Pain made his vision blurry, but he did his best to stay conscious. They were planning to hit him where it hurt most…in the life he thought he had left behind when he became Reaper. Sombra placed a hand on what remained of his shoulder, sighing.

"You're destabilizing more than you should. Isn't there any place that could help you—"

An alarm had gone off, and it got Sombra's attention. The monitor lit up, several screens showing two armored trucks from different angles. Talon agents poured out of both, preparing to blow open the main entrance. If she were alone, her course of action would be pretty simple. But Gabriel was unable to move, complicating things just a bit.

So she didn't expect him to have his own plan to implement.

"Shut off…the lights."

"What? What're you gonna—"

"Just do it."

Reluctantly, she did as he asked. She camouflaged herself, then shut off the lights. A short time later, a large group of Talon agents were dispersing all around after blasting the door open, fitted with tactical gear. Night vision would do very little for them. Both Gabriel and Sombra remained basked in the darkness, not wanting to take any more chances than necessary. Once one of the agents were close enough for him to grab, he immediately wrapped his arms around their neck in a chokehold, snapping their spine in two in less than a second. The soul presented itself to him, and he wasted no time in absorbing it. Immediately, he noticed a change as he began to stabilize.

The black mist surrounding him slowly receded as he regained human form. He could hear a small pulse from within, a surge of warmth spreading through his body. A monstrous grin formed on his face, sharp teeth put on display, regardless of whether or not they could see. It was the mere thrill of the kill; the rush of power he gets every time he consumes a soul.

It was addicting…and it fueled his never-ending rage.

With a slow breath, Gabriel materialized a set of shotguns and stepped out into the open. His finger pulled the trigger, the buckshot immediately colliding with flesh as it tore through the poor excuse of armor they had been fitted with. There were spurts of enemy gunfire that soon ceased as they began. That was more than likely because of Sombra's baiting. The souls from the dead agents were visible, and his body craved the power that it is so desperately seeking.

 _Glad to see her pulling some of the weight. Makes things a little easier._

He turned into mist, snaking across the ground to scoop them up in abundance and absorb them. The last of the agents had pulled back and retreated, their numbers less than half of what they had arrived with. Gabriel returned to his normal form, crimson hues locked onto the dead bodies he had been responsible for completely obliterating. The lights to the hideout soon came back on and Sombra turned off her camouflage.

"I can't believe you were able to do so much damage even in your condition," she breathed, wiping what little blood and gore stained her tactical suit off. "Yeah, your alias suits you pretty well. Glad you're on my side."

With a roll of his shoulders and a breath of relief, he turned towards her. "Never felt better, too. Gimme the bag so I can get changed. They'll think twice before sending another squad."

Sombra grabbed the bag, tossing it in his general direction before moving over to her master computer. With Talon's recent attack and her interception of emails they obtained through hacking of their own, it was apparent that any and all attempts at destroying their opposition would be considered. Who knows where their influence expanded to? The notorious hacker would soon find out. Turning her chair towards her, she took a seat and resumed her research.

"They've made one thing clear: if they can't control you, they'll destroy you."

"They're welcome to keep tryin'." The rustle of metal and the adjustment of armor could be heard behind Sombra's head as Gabriel got dressed. As much as he hated the white ensemble, it was all he had. He straightened out the gloves and coat, leaving the mask to put on for later. There was nothing to hide from, not right now. "Can you find out their recent movements? Aside from what just happened?"

"You got it." It would take some time, but she could get it done. No one but her could.

* * *

Talon agents were hot on this man's trail. He stayed well enough ahead, his bow firmly in his grip as he pulled an arrow from his quiver with ease mid-stride. He turned towards his attackers fluidly, the arrow being drawn back with the bowstring and immediately being let go to fly into their general direction. The arrow fell in front of their feet, the metal splintering and ricocheting off of the trees and piercing their targets. It would slow them down considerably, long enough for him to disappear into the darkness.

The night did well to hide his movements. When his assailants recovered from his attack, his whereabouts were unknown to him. The archer ran to a different direction, his movements fleet-footed so he could not be heard if others were in the area. But where he headed took him to a place he'd not want to be. And those who wandered inside were _not_ welcomed.

 _Intruders…in my home? Unacceptable._

He withdrew another arrow from his quiver, anger boiling in his blood the more he stared at the unsightliness that was these intruders. The arrow was soon shot, the metal splintering yet again and ricocheting off the walls and sinking into their targets. He jumped down to level ground, reaching for another arrow. Once he was sure no other threats remained he headed to the main area of what he once called his home, the abandoned arrows still embedded in the floor and walls from a confrontation he'd rather not remember.

The archer stopped in front of a bloodstained banner with a tear along the edge. He had already paid his respects to his brother, and this may no longer be his true home. But he will not let the last remnants of his past become distant memories. Shimada castle was not for the taking. He had been in contact with Lena, and had decided to meet her here whenever she was ready. Her cause seemed pure, and added up with the recent attacks that had befallen him. He agreed to take up her offer, to defeat Talon so he could journey without interruption.

So he kneels, and meditates. As long as he was here, the place he called home would remain as such.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: i'm so sorry for being late with this, omg. this chapter's kinda been sitting here and writer's block came back full force. anywaaaay...hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

She dozed off a while ago, after engrossing herself in her work yet again against everyone's better judgement. Lena came to when she felt something warm drape across her shoulders. Her head cants to face the person responsible.

"Sorry Reinhardt, I just—"

"It's alright. You've been at this harder than any other person in here." Much to Lena's surprise, Reinhardt's voice was calm, _quiet_ even. It was unusual, since most were used to his voice carrying and booming off the walls. To her, it was a nice change for once. "Everyone's getting worried, Lena."

"Tell them I'm fine. Really. The recruiting process is still going as planned and I'll have to go to Japan in a while." Her chair swiveled, and she stood up to look the large crusader in the eyes. "I, meant to ask…what do you think of this Talon and Gabriel situation? You've always been outspoken about most issues, especially about Overwatch when it was active. But you've been practically mute since you found out Gabriel was…Reaper. Did it shock you?"

The silence that followed her question was deafening, anxiety slowly building up in her veins as she awaited an answer. When Reinhardt spoke, his response was not what she was expecting, but still comforting. He was never one to sugarcoat his words, and it was something she was glad for.

"I always had a feeling," He began. "No one really uses double assault shotguns like he does, so it wasn't hard. I was livid for a while with him, even when I returned to this place. I called him a traitor, threatened to smash his head in with my hammer…I hated what he's become, and what he's done."

Lena did not blame Reinhardt for feeling the way he did about the events that have unfolded. She felt the same way, to an extent. "But, after seeing you put together an elaborate plan just to talk and help him, and the way he acted shortly after…I salute you. Not many have the strength to pull someone as damaged as Gabriel from the brink, and you're doing it regardless of how you come out physically. If the crusaders were still around, I'm sure my master would have recruited you."

That earned a laugh from her. She considered that an honor. "Well, I feel honored. Thank you. But I promise you Rein, I'll be alright. There is a lot of work to be done before we can relax and say mission complete."

"Indeed, my friend. Whenever you leave to recruit, the rest of us shall hold down the fort until you return."

The automatic door had opened, and in stepped McCree. He was still dressed in his clothes from yesterday, his hair slightly disheveled from where his head laid on the pillow. Reinhardt pivoted his body to look, in which he responded with a smile.

"It seems as though none of us want to leave her alone, eh?"

"Well, she's been workin' a lot. Wanted her to get a good night's sleep but apparently…" McCree eyed Lena at the point, in which she merely responded with a nervous laugh. "She's had other ideas. Can't say I blame her, though."

"Hey, I got twelve hours. It's better than nothing." She folded her arms, smirking at the both of them. "Do you know if the Swiss airport is open now?"

"Um…it's still down. Dunno when it's gonna reopen, so I dunno how we're gonna get to Japan."

Lena sighed, suddenly becoming more frustrated than she already was. If the airport wasn't open for business, how were they supposed to get to Japan? Not a lot of ideas came to mind, and the idea of travelling from sea was more than a little obsolete. Unless…

"Athena, is there still a working ship within the watchpoint?"

"One moment…" It took a moment for the AI to fully respond with an accurate answer. "There is. And I will be the pilot."

"Wait… _you're_ gonna be flyin' the ship?" McCree asked. He sounded a little…worried about an AI controlling an aircraft. "How are you gonna do that _and_ stay here at the watchpoint?"

"My AI programming goes beyond just this watchpoint, McCree. It goes to every Overwatch watchpoint and interface in the world. Including in Japan. Tokyo, specifically."

"Ugh…you never cease to amaze me." McCree thought for a few more seconds before agreeing. What other options did they have? "Okay, I'm in."

"Report to the hangar when you are ready."

* * *

 _His body was on fire, literally. The smell of a burning building and the sound of the foundation crumbling around him…the taste of blood heavy in his mouth and coldness seeping into his bones._ _Pain was all he felt, but not for long._

 _This explosion…would be the cause of his death._

 _Gabriel's body was pierced against something, and he did not have the strength to move. He couldn't even yell for help. Then his eyes closed, the coldness truly taking hold of the rest of his body as everything fell silent. He could no longer hear the sounds of the fire and the building falling apart. Then his eyes opened._

 _Bodies laid everywhere, blood splattered all over the ground. Their souls missing, and their visages shrinking into a true state of death. In his hands were a pair of shotguns, the hangman's hood over his head covering his face as well. He was no longer Gabriel Reyes, the man who saved the world from the Omnic Crisis. He was dead._

 _And Reaper was born—born from that man's hatred and vengeance from when he was alive. That last flicker from a soul damaged beyond repair. As he walked, his anger and animosity grew. A slight laugh rang out from his inhuman features as he outstretched his arms, pulling the trigger on the shotguns._

 _It was their fault. Overwatch's fault. And he'll bleed them dry for as long as he has to. They gave birth to the being that was Reaper, and they will meet him face to face. A final death blossom for those who murdered a man who had nothing to lose._

"Gabe…Gabe!"

His eyes flickered open, looking directly at Sombra. "…What?"

"…I got something, that's what." She holds out a holocube, then opens it. There was a small visor camera that captured a shootout, before the video abruptly ended after they were shot and killed with an arrow. Gabriel replays the video, and zooms in just before the death occurred. A small figure could be made out in the background.

"Must be the younger Shimada's brother," He muttered under his breath. "Could be goin' after him because of Lena. Guess we know where we're goin' now."

Sombra closed the holocube, walking back to her computer. Her arms folded over her chest, continuing to read the rest of what she had open across the screens. She hoped that Genji's brother would be co-operative in their efforts to stunt Talon's sudden growth in power. If he had any self-honor left, that is.

"Let's hope he's in a listening mood. If not, this is gonna get complicated more than it already is." She paused in her speech, switching her weight from one foot to the other. "Hey..."

"What now?" Gabriel was slowly becoming irritated with her already.

"…You're eager to see Lena, aren't ya? Or is there something I don't know about you two going on?"

His face quickly deadpanned, turning away from the female hacker. She was eventually going to pop the question, but in reality there wasn't much to tell. Speculation meant little to him, so whatever pull she believed she had on him was false.

"Sombra…you're treading on some very thin ice. She's helping me with my…condition. That's all I'm gonna say."

Sombra laughed, but she took his word for it. The way he got defensive almost immediately about the woman…it interested her greatly. This was one trip she was probably looking forward to the most.

"Alright, I'll leave it at that. Time frame's short, so let's start moving now."

"Yeah."

* * *

It was like a neverending swarm of vermin coming towards him with the intent to kill. Hanzo's arrow supply was dwindling ever so quickly, and his options were becoming limited. He took out some of the Talon soldiers with just his bow alone, but it was too close for comfort for him. He preferred the comfort and safety of a bird's eye view instead.

More footsteps made him turn his head in the corresponding direction. He ducked just in the nick of time, the bullet piercing the wall instead of warm flesh. He had no means to defend himself, not how he was now. He moved out the way of more oncoming fire, hiding behind a thin wooden wall. The wait to hear them pass was completely awful, yet again the sound of his blood pounding in his ears slowly becoming deafening the more he waited. A short time passed with little to no sound being made, and the elder Shimada believed it was safe. He turned the corner, the soldiers' unconscious bodies lying limp with a syringe sticking out of the site where they were shot. There was a mysterious sniper lurking around.

And he could not tell if they were friend or foe.

"Show yourself," He said, walking out into the open. A bold move on his part. "I am not one of the soldiers you are hunting."

"I can tell…archer." The sniper was hooded, and a mechanical mask hid their face. Anonymity cloaked them quite well, but it did nothing to soothe his already frayed nerves. Their weapon remained raised, as if to shoot him. "Are you injured?"

"…No. But I assume there is no coincidence that you are here for your own motives." Only when their rifle returned to their side did he take a breath.

"I was trailing Talon for quite some time. My travels led me here, and I decided to help. Nothing wrong with that, is there? Besides, you're in no position to defend yourself without arrows."

The elder Shimada chuckled and pulled an embedded arrow from the wall. The sniper had a point. "You're correct, I'll give you that. But if you have any information about their sudden interest with me, I would advise you to share it."

The sniper sighed, walking around before sitting down on a small flight of stairs. There was not a lot to tell, as they didn't know much about Talon's revival. That was just one out of many ghosts they wanted to avoid, yet it still continued to follow them without end.

"I have told you all that I know. For now, we rest and prepare…this is only the beginning."

He put the remaining arrow in his quiver, his bow still firmly in his hand. His eyes looked around the abandoned castle, slowly getting lost in memories he'd rather not remember. He returned to the middle of the room, kneeling again in front of the bloodstained torn banner. His pasts were his shackles, and they refused to break. It's been this way for ten years and he was sure nothing would change now. Did he even deserve the redemption he is so desperately seeking?

He would soon find out.

"I… welcome the challenge. Talon will have to work to detain this dragon."

They both sat in silence, and waited for the next wave to come.

* * *

Once everyone was ready, the trio set off towards the hangar. The lights turned on and in there remained a huge aircraft ship. They looked stunned as the ship lowered and the door opened in front of them. They had noticed the ship, but it looked in disrepair. Only now did they realize that the tarps once covering it were preventing it from becoming rusted from years without use.

"It has not been in use since Overwatch's disbandment, but the system checks show that it still works at peak efficiency. This should be sufficient enough to get us to and from our destination."

"Huh…right under our noses too." McCree adjusted his hat and stepped onto the ship. It has been a while since he had been on the inside of one. Not since he was with Blackwatch. But that was a past that should stay as is. "Well, time's wastin'. Let's get this thing movin'."

As everyone took their seats, Lena noticed Genji's silence. It was unsettling. He was probably dreading the meeting with Hanzo. She couldn't blame him, but what happened between them was not for her to dwell into.

"Are you alright, Genji?" She asked. He barely reacted but turned to face her still. "…You're worried."

"…I am." The silence continued on, as he struggled to find the right words to say. "It's just…Hanzo has not healed from the incident between us. I told him that I have forgiven him, but…he does not believe it. For him to strike me down like he did…it wasn't his choice to start."

"Wait, so…Hanzo was _forced_ to kill you?" McCree interjected before Lena could say anything, but the same question was on her mind as well. "…Why would he be forced to kill you? What did you do?"

"More like what I _didn't_ do."

"Prepare for takeoff. Please remain seated." The ship began to boot up and the large automatic doors opened to reveal the outside. Athena began to take control of the ship itself, and hovered into the air before taking off. "Estimated time of arrival: six hours."

The loaded silence after the takeoff didn't do much for anybody, however. Just from judging Genji's body language, it didn't seem like he was able to talk about it anymore. Yakuza families were sometimes hard on their own children as well, and the consequences of not fulfilling an order that was given were, well…damaging. Neither of them could fathom what both of the Shimadas went through, and they didn't want to. If things didn't work out with Hanzo, then their options would shrink.

"I'll…talk about it more when we're nearly there," Genji suddenly spoke, much to both of their surprises. "I need some time to reflect. Six hours isn't really a lot of time to work with."

"Alright." Lena made herself comfortable on the couch they were all sitting on, staring up at the ceiling. McCree wasn't too keen on the subject just dropping like that, but he respected Genji's wishes and got comfortable as well. It was going to be a simple recruiting mission…in and out without much trouble.

But with their luck, it probably would not be as such.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: *shows up almost six months late w/starbucks* uhhhh...I can explain, I swear. I got a job and I'm constantly exhausted. This has been sitting here a while, soo...here it is!**

* * *

Widowmaker picked herself up off the floor, holding her head in slight agony. It all happened so suddenly, the power suddenly failing and then a sharp pain in the back of her skull that caused her to blackout. Blood dripped from her crown and down her forehead, and she barely batted an eye at it. She wiped away the crimson liquid, and exited the torture room. The bodies she stepped over to enter the debriefing room had little meaning to her, and she found it hard to believe one person could do this on their own. If they could, then she had to give them credit.

But she would not slip up again. No prey ever escaped a spider's web. And they don't show mercy to them.

As she entered the debriefing room, there wasn't much to be found besides a mission objective. It was no different from her current objective, but it had an added footnote. They wanted both Sombra and Reaper brought back alive. But why? Playing nice to get them to co-operate with Talon obviously didn't work. Now she had to get downright underhanded.

There was a debriefing notice next to her own mission objective, and it showed a large squad was deployed to Japan for a capture mission. Widowmaker decided against joining them, though her interest was piqued. It must be a huge operation if they sent in so many soldiers.

"Hmph…a battalion sent in to an abandoned castle? This is not a coincidence." She walks out of the debriefing room, pondering her slight change in objective. "Ah, well. The details are meaningless. My own mission is more important."

* * *

After the trio left for Japan, the watchpoint was quieter than it has been since everyone who responded to the recall showed up. Angela, even though the treatment was complete for Gabriel, wanted to make more modifications to it so the process would not cause him so much pain when he returned. However, a part of her wished she had tagged along with them when she had the chance. But she was more useful in the labs instead.

She wanted to undo the mess she has created. She had to do that much, just to give Gabriel some type of closure. So Angela wasn't expecting someone to enter her lab suddenly.

"Winston, was there something you needed?"

"I, uh…" He repositioned his glasses, his face carrying a look of worry for the Swiss doctor. "I wanted to check on you, Angela. You've…been a little quiet since everything has occurred."

Angela turned to face him. She knew he was struggling to ask about what happened, and what she planned to do with Gabriel when he returned. The truth was that she had no idea what to expect if the trio returned with their recruit and him in the same ship. But if they did, she would simply follow Lena's lead. She would only make things worse if she tried giving him the treatment on her own.

"I'm…doing my best to right my wrongs the best I can, Winston. I…I'm trying to lighten Lena's workload. She's been doing a lot since she's come here."

"Yeah, she's always been a hard worker. Sometimes taking on way too much for her own good no matter what people say." He paused momentarily, the only sound being heard was the sound of the centrifuge spinning in the background for the moment. "…Whatever happened with Gabe back then, can't be changed. The only thing both of you can do is make it as easy on him as possible. This might be our only chance to help him…let's not waste it."

"Y-You're right." Angela didn't know what to say now. Anxiety was building up in her veins, as her last meeting with him was way less than satisfactory. But his reaction was expected. He didn't plan on seeing the one responsible for his…condition. And the fact that she decided to finally take true action after ten long years didn't help their current relations. "I just hope he complies. Long enough for us to get him as human as possible."

"Don't worry, he will. He's a tactician, he knows a good opportunity when he sees it."

"Let's…hope so. I don't want to assume anything until after he gets back."

Gabriel being one of the best tacticians Angela has ever known is what makes him so dangerous. It's why she wasn't so keen on helping him in the first place. She doesn't know if he has underlying motives that made him agree, and if he did, then he had to be stopped. She still didn't think he could be that cruel, though.

But time and experience changes people. Gabriel was clearly a prime example.

"Have we seen any movement from Talon since their previous attempted siege?" Angela asked.

"No, not really. But I'm sure they've kept tabs on us, and they know what we're doing now. It's…making me worry about letting those three go on their own."

"If I may interject, Winston." Well, at least what Athena said about her being intact while still mobile was true. "While I am still in the air, my primary functions are still applicable. Defensive measures can be taken to keep the trio safe."

"You really do think of everything, don't you?" That _was_ part of her programming, after all. "Will you tell us if anything happens?"

"Of course."

While the AI's reassurance was welcomed, their worry remained. But they weren't helpless, so they had faith that they would return. Talon was lurking, possibly following them to Japan. Nothing was ever easy for them, ever.

* * *

"Jesse, stoooop-!"

"Take back that comment about me bein' a dirty cowboy then!" His tickling was relentless, a smirk appearing on his face as he watched Lena laugh and squirm uncontrollably. Genji remained unfazed by their antics, but smirked underneath his visor. Their horseplay ceased when they felt the ship descend. Were they already in Japanese airspace?

"Athena, are we already there?"

"Yes, and I am preparing to land. Please stay seated, if possible."

The ship's descent ceases as they could hear a latch release and something open below them. They must've been at one of Japan's old overwatch bases. Looking out the window confirmed as such. The interior of the base hasn't been touched in years, and dust had slowly collected. The ship docked effortlessly, and all the main doors opened for them to step out.

"I can't believe I'm finally back here." Disbelief hung heavy in Genji's voice. As most recalled, he hasn't been back to Japan since his brush with death almost ten years ago. This either felt nostalgic for him, or terrifying. It was hard to tell which one was more prominent now. "I…don't know if I can call this home again."

"If you want to stay here and regain your bearings, you can."

"N-No, I'm alright. Let us proceed."

Overhead, there were several unknown aircrafts flying into Japanese airspace. The quantity of them worried the trio. They were not military aircrafts, and appeared to be heading to one singular location. To Lena, this was no coincidence, and time apparently wasn't on their side.

"…We should probably hurry," McCree said, adjusting his hat and serape. "Don't like the look of those ships. I can bet dollar to doughnuts they're from Talon."

"Even more reason to kick it into high gear. Can't let Talon get a headstart."

Little did they know, that battalion they saw overhead was probably not the first and _not_ the last.

* * *

Wave after wave of Talon soldiers continued to pour in, the neverending sound of gunfire filling the shrine. The duo was reaching their limit slowly, realizing that their motives weren't to kill them right away. It was simply exhaust them…but for what?

It didn't matter. They just had to make it through this.

"Look alive, archer."

"Speak for yourself. This is merely a warm up."

"Says the one without any arrows."

A snort at that, and then it was business as usual. Hanzo still had one arrow that he picked up earlier, but it was just the one. He's gotten out of worse situations, but this…this was looking bad. Even though he had back up, there was no guarantee they would be breathing by the time this was over.

But he would be damned if he would fall into Talon's clutches. He knows what they were capable of, what they would do to the unwilling. It made his stomach turn quite a bit. The footsteps echoed outside of the shrine, then gunfire. But it was not from the soldiers entering. It seemed to be from people who were rogues, because they were rather…causal walking in.

"See? Told ya it would work."

" _Hmph. It worked for now. Let's just hurry this up."_

Both Hanzo and the sniper steeled themselves once more, their weapons aimed at the duo that walked inside. They showed no signs of attacking, but that did not quell their paranoia.

"Hey, hey!" Sombra sighed, keeping her machine pistol at her side. "We're not here to hurt you. In fact, we came to rescue you…kinda."

Her head turned to Gabriel, whose eyes stared forward through the mask at the sniper before him. Hanzo also noticed the loaded silence between them, feeling some sort of familiarity was shared between them. It was not his place to interfere, if they did not want him to. He was more concerned over why two unknowns wanted to help them in the first place.

"…Gabriel."

"… _Ana."_

Their names borne on the wind, sadness entangled as they spoke each other's name. She still felt sympathy for him, his back still against the wall even years after that fateful day. There was nothing she could have done, but the guilt was there. She wanted to help him, but…she just didn't see how right now.

"I find it hard to believe that you sent all these soldiers just so you could make your grand entrance," Ana said mockingly. "I thought you were _with_ them, not _against_ them."

" _It was a simple business deal, which I terminated a little while ago."_ Gabriel chuckled, black mist swirling around his form faintly. _"…They're getting too powerful, too quickly. We need to stop them before…things get bad."_

"Glad to see you're swinging for the winning team now…I almost thought there was no hope for you."

The wraith chuckled under his breath, but soon settled back into silence. They could leave now with Ana and Hanzo in tow, but doing so would lead to a miscommunication and put Lena and whoever accompanied her in a bind.

" _They shouldn't be sending reinforcements for a while. You've taken down more than a battalion of them, so they need to regroup before they suffer more losses. You're safe…for the meantime."_

It did little in the way of reassurance, so they hoped that Lena would hurry.

* * *

It took them a little while, travelling by taxi. But they made it. Shimada Castle had seen better days, but most of what remained of the place was still intact. The grass was still vividly green, but unkempt. The fine conditioned wood of the pagodas and buildings were slowly beginning to weather, weed growth filling the gaps of the cracks that showed almost indecently. Arrows littered everywhere, a few even stuck in the ground and in the wood, further ruining its former integrity.

It was a shell of what the Shimada Clan used to be. They were no more however, their strength and influence lost when Genji and Hanzo battled here a few years ago. His face may be behind a visor now, but body language spoke all. He didn't feel comfortable being at a place that was technically considered a grave. He began to doubt if Hanzo would even listen to his plea.

He doubts that he would, if the burden of his past actions continued to haunt him in his journey for peace.

"Talon soldiers were here," McCree said, once he finished surveying his immediate surroundings. "I don't like the look of this…come on."

As they ventured further in, it confirmed McCree's statement. Armored trucks were stationed outside of the shrine, but there was no sound of gunfire or struggles. Bodies of the ordeal were seen, but not Hanzo himself. He was further inside, most likely.

And he wasn't alone.

"No way…he's here too!?" McCree sounded less than pleased that Gabriel was here. To him, it looked like he was responsible for this attack. "The hell're you doin', Gabriel!?"

" _Took you guys long enough."_ His head canted to the side, crimson optics staring directly at Lena before scanning the other two who accompanied her. He expected McCree to be on edge, especially since their last meeting was ambiguous in meaning. Genji seemed more focused on his brother, whom he locked eyes with. Without much thought, he removed his visor. Letting Hanzo see his face was an extra punctuation mark for their request for him to join their cause, and to show him how serious he was about this.

The Genji he knew and loved remained regardless of the changes he has undergone. No words were spoken between them, as their expressions of grief said quite a bit alone.

"…There's no doubt about it. You two are definitely brothers." A bittersweet reunion between estranged brothers. The tension was bad enough, but now was the time for business. "Mister Shimada…I assume you know why I'm here, correct?"

"I do." He shifted his gaze to Lena next, his body language now reading caution. "I assume you're Lena Farron?"

"I am. I…guess you don't need too much briefing about Talon and their activities."

"No, I suppose not. But I do believe an explanation as to why I am on their radar is in order."

"…I contacted you, so they wanted to kill or capture anyone I contacted to prove a point. They tried here, but…this is probably one of many times."

The information he was getting was sound, but…he was still skeptical for joining the cause. If Hanzo wanted to stay alive, it was in his best interest to go with them. He would have many opportunities to talk more with Lena later and to talk with Genji. He had something on his mind.

She turned her attention to Gabriel and Sombra, her eyebrows raising in confusion. "…Gabe, I gotta know if you're coming with us. I gotta know if I can trust you, especially since I don't know who this woman is."

"Name's Sombra. It's a pleasure to finally meet someone Gabe's still fond of after all these years." Her hand extended in greeting, hoping that she would do the same. She did, a momentary handshake being exchanged. "Eh, we should probably get to a ship or something. Talon's not gonna sit on something like this and let it—"

Their momentary rest period was interrupted by an impromptu missile. The blast was close, smoke filling the shrine and blinding them for the meantime. Red lights were still visible through the thick smoke, and everyone laid on the ground to avoid being targeted.

"So much for a break." McCree held onto his hat the entire time, eyes squinting as he tried to look through the thick smog. He turned to Genji next. "Hey, Genji. Is there any way outta here? They more than likely have the main entrances blocked."

"There is…but we need cover fire to reach it."

"Gotcha covered. Make a run for it, and take Lena and Hanzo with you. Need 'em alive."

"Hold on Jesse, we _all_ need to go." Judging by her tone, Lena wasn't too keen on her leaving everyone else behind. "We don't have to fire right now, because they can't see us yet!"

Jesse snorted, releasing his revolver from his holster and pointing it forward. "They have on thermal vision gear to sniff us out. While you're right that they can't see us yet, it's only a matter of time. Best to move now instead of waitin' for gunfire."

Talon thought of everything, it seems. Genji moved towards the back of the shrine, with Hanzo following. Lifting the padding on the floor revealed a metal hatch, where only one person could go down at a time. He had almost forgotten it, since it was barely used. It was a failsafe, when their father was alive and the clan prospered.

"Go down first, Hanzo. I'll follow when I get Lena."

"…Fine." He wrapped his bow around his torso and descended into the darkness below. Genji returned to the main area to get Lena and followed Hanzo into the hidden passageway. The others would follow shortly, when there was a brief lapse of time between their departures. If they couldn't, they would force their way out through the front. It would be a bold move, considering they have heavy weaponry with them this time. It just meant that they had to be careful if it came to that.

There was barely light within the tunnel, so the trio had to squint to see. Lena simply followed Genji's glowing cybernetics as he led them through the hidden passageway. He suddenly stops, metallic-lined hands outstretching to stop them from continuing.

"What is it?" Lena asked in a soft tone. Genji let out a soft hush, apparently hearing something she couldn't.

"Soldiers were passing above us."

"Is it save to move now?"

"Yes. We are almost out, I believe."

He halted once again, then ascended a ladder and unlocked and opened the exit. They climbed up and out, light flooding their eyes as they exhaled. It was a secure route, with no one the wiser but them. But the others…they were still stuck in their previous position.

"A short trek…but it's worth it. We're out of the commotion, but the others…think they have enough room to follow now?"

"We shall see. Signal Athena to pick us up Lena, please."

"Okay, give me a few seconds." She sends out their coordinates to Athena from her tracker, in which a confirmation message appears for just a moment before disappearing. There would be a little bit of time before she arrived, so they were cutting it close.

Now all that was left to do was to just survive.

"What are you going to do, Genji?" Hanzo asked. His brother was reckless at times, but now that description fits him more. The guilt of his past treacheries made him more emotional than he remembered. He didn't want to wait in here while his entourage fought for their lives. "You are not going back in there, are you?"

"…No. We're going to—"

Genji brought out his wakizashi, the blade effortlessly deflecting the bullet that was aimed directly at his skull. It was a perfectly timed deflection; any longer, and it would have done some serious damage that not even Angela could fix.

"Sniper, get down!" The trio scrambled to get behind cover, tall enough to hide their entire bodies from their view. Hanzo peeked around the corner, catching a glimpse of the shooter before receded back behind cover.

"It's a woman," He said quietly, slowly moving towards the only protruding arrow stuck inside the small pagoda they were standing behind. "She has a visor. I cannot tell if it's activated."

"It's not," Genji whispered. "She is not aiming. It is as if she has lost us."

"…Good." He pulls the arrow from the splintered wood, aligning it with the string of the bow. He did not draw it back, as he didn't have a clear shot of his target. "I can shoot her…if I knew exactly where she was."

"Come out, _mes chers._ It'll be over soon…"

They were pinned to their current position, with not much room to make a move of their own. Lena and Genji had encountered her once, not too long ago. Lena's anger was slowly building in silence, but she remained still. With Talon soldiers slowly filling the shrine along with the smoke, there only choice was to wait it out.

But how long until they were flushed out?


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N:**_ Hey, long time no see! Life got in the way, but now I have a little bit of time to start working on this again. I know more lore has come out since the last update, but there's still quite a bit we can just play around with, and that's what I intend to do. Enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you liked it.

* * *

"Dammit…we're pinned here by one sniper!"

"…We need a distraction—long enough to turn her attention away from Hanzo so he can shoot." Genji did not move, not yet. He stilled his breathing, listening for footsteps that matched the sniper in question. He pulls out three shuriken, holding them in between his fingers. "Stay down, Lena. Please."

"But…" She looks up at his visor, already knowing the look he gave was hard enough to break stone. Lena stares at the ground with a sigh. Her stubbornness wouldn't do much here. "…Okay."

The woman had no visor active, they had established that. Genji would use her mistake to his advantage. He fiddles with the stars that laid firmly between his fingers before flinging them towards the female sniper. Widowmaker stops aiming as she hears the whizzing of the blades, jumping back to narrowly dodge the shuriken that were embedded where she was previously standing. She sucks her teeth once, and resumes. But what she sees through her scope makes her recoil.

An arrow was coming straight for her head. She dodges that as well by grapple hooking away from the spot entirely, the scattering shrapnel from the bolt cutting her combat suit and leaving small gashes in their wake. As her feet touch solid ground once more, golden optics narrow in annoyance but soon she concedes her defeat here as the smoke subsides and the rest of the group convenes outside. As much as she wants to put a bullet in each of their heads, that would have to wait. She was sloppy enough today.

"Consider this your _le répit._ Your luck will run out the next...and _final_ time we meet."

And with that, Widowmaker departs by grappling onto a lone Talon aircraft that still had its cargo hold open. Hanzo begins a pace to chase after her, but Genji quickly halts him. They survived being pinned by this woman, and that was by luck alone. There was no need to challenge the boundary lines any longer.

"There's no need to chase, Hanzo."

"But she's getting away!"

"Let her, we're lucky we didn't die back there. Let's take this chance to leave. We _did_ travel all the way here for you, after all. Do not soil Lena's hard work by being a deathseeker."

There was a stare down for a few moments, before Sombra merely sighs and walks past them. She had no time for petty squabbles, they had to leave _now._ "As much as I enjoy family reunions and rivalries, I'd like to leave here…like _now._ Fight later if you want."

Another loaded silence before they too conceded. Lena radios for Athena to pick them up at their current position, as traveling while Talon was still moving about was not advised. The aircraft hovers low enough to pick the group up, before taking to the sky and back to their watchpoint.

"That was…somethin' else," Jesse breathes, shifting slightly and resting a hand against his outer thigh. Gabriel notices his shifting and turns to face him. He notices out of the corner of his eye, but pretends _not_ to. "Could've been worse, though."

Of course, he didn't care that McCree was avoiding his gaze. He'll announce it instead. _"…How bad is it, McCree?_ "

The sharp turn of his head and annoyed expression confirmed what he already knew. Gabriel was no fool, and he _knows_ when someone is hiding an injury. He himself was notorious for it, and it drove both Lena and Angela up a wall whenever he did it. _"A super soldier you may be, but you're still human"_ is what they always told him. Now McCree was starting to take more than one page out of his book. He watches him shuffle uncomfortably, uttering a curse under his breath before he settles once again.

"…We'll worry about the injury later."

* * *

The mixer stops, rousing the doctor from her impromptu slumber. The serum was ready, fully mixed with the base she had created with what she had managed to take from Gabriel when she had the chance. With this, she could fix him. She could finally do something right for once…if he was coming back with Lena, Genji and McCree.

She removes the tube with a simple button press, the mixture that was almost black when she started now a translucent purple. He didn't need a lot to start, but as his treatments progressed she would need more to give to him. For now, this will do. Grabbing a syringe, Angela pulls the plunger as it drained the test tube until all the liquid was inside. She caps it and places it on a tray with other medical tools were within easy reach. She pauses in movement as someone enters her lab.

"Oh,Seventy-six. What…brings you here?"

The automatic door closes slowly behind the vigilante, his gaze fixated on the doctor and the syringe she capped off. While he seemed intimidating with his current gear, Angela felt no fear or tension form within her. In fact, she didn't _really_ consider him a stranger.

"With the group gone, things are quiet around here…just needed someone to talk to is all."

"Well, I'm always willing to lend an ear to those who need it. If you have something you need to get off your chest, speak."

He makes himself comfortable in the nearest chair, inhaling and exhaling before he did the unthinkable, which caused Angela to be taken aback and just freeze in place. Even though age was evident in his features, they were still as striking as she remembered.

"E-Everyone thinks you're dead…this is incomprehensible!"

"Shhh. I'd like to keep it that way for a while longer."

"…But why? What's so important that you would go through this?"

There's nothing but silence, and Angela notes how reluctant he is on the matter. As much as she wants to sit down and talk, she couldn't really do such a thing with him if he wasn't willing. They are both snatched from their musings as Athena's voice is echoed through the intercoms.

"The dropship has just arrived. There is one injury recorded."

Angela sighs. This was her cue to meet the landing craft. Taking the elevator at the end of the medical wing, it takes little time for her to see the ship slowly descend back into the watchpoint once she arrives. She also takes a deep breath of relief; it appears Lena's mission was a complete success…and then some.

"Thank goodness you guys are mostly unscathed," She says, a soft smile showing. "I was beginning to worry a bit."

"It went about as well as you'd expect," Lena says, guiding McCree's limping form over to Angela. "Is Gabriel's treatment ready?"

"Yes, it's waiting in the lab. I'll join you after I'm finished."

"Sounds good." Without needing to be prompted, the group disperses until they are needed. Gabriel trails behind Lena, remembering the deal he struck with Angela before that whole incident took place just a few days before. The lab's double doors open and they both step inside. "Okay…lay on the table, Gabriel."

"I knew it couldn't be as simple as a normal drip," he says under his breath. Seems as though he still had his doubts…although, he's allowed to voice his concerns like any other patient would during an uncertain procedure. "Fine. Do what you need to."

"…Thank you." Looking over what Angela had laid out, Lena smiles to herself as she realizes everything had been prepped for her use. She would thank her later, once she was sure this was going to work for him. She uncaps the syringe, standing over Gabriel's body and looking down. He turns away, but his eyes are still open.

He's waiting.

Lena lifts his arm and holds it straight, sticking the needle as smoothly as she could into the visible black veins that decorated his whole body. They became more prominent after the injection and she could begin to see a reaction taking place…she expected it to be violent. Reaching back onto the counter was a panel used for the table Gabriel was placed on, and she flips a few switches. Restraints emerge from the edges of the table and strap him down, so he wouldn't end up on the floor. As soon as she restrained him, the roaring started. She knew it was going to be agony for him, and she hates how he must suffer just to be normal again…but the risks were going to be worth the reward. And maybe…

Maybe Gabriel knew it too.

His body rocks violently on the table, visibly straining against the restraints on his limbs. The black mist is prominent now, swirling around his body as his bones and flesh started to break and knit back together in one smooth sequence. Another loud roar is heard, and Gabriel's on the verge of breaking out into a full seizure. It was hard for Lena to watch as his body tried to fight against what it was and what it wants to be—a paradox of the living. She wanted to pull him off that table now, cradle him in her arms and just break down into a bumbling mess. But she knew that's not what he would've wanted.

She had to be strong…because he could not in this very moment.

A few minutes later, and the convulsions do stop. Gabriel's body slumps against the table, his chest heaving as he fights for breath. The worst was over…for now, but he was no means out of the woods. Lena reluctantly removes the restraints before moving closer and attempting to lift him up. With what little strength he could muster, he pushes her away.

" _Don't,"_ He manages to say as he remains dangling halfway onto the floor. _"Not now…"_

"I was going to take you to intensive care, Gabe. Don't be stubborn."

" _Not. Now."_ Gabriel's constant refusal was slowly making Lena a bit agitated. What reason did he have to refuse her aid? She observes him more, noticing that his features were starting to look more human…aside from his crimson eyes. One step at a time…take it in stride. That's all she could do for him. _"Don't wanna hurt you."_

"You're not gonna—" Lena stifles her words, a hand raising up to her neck to ghost over the slowly fading bruises. He remembers what he did that day, apparently. He's more cautious than she and Angela were. "…I-I can't leave you in this room. Unless you want Angela to do it."

"… _Get it over with quickly then._ " His body was still shaking, the pain almost unbearable as his body attempted to deal with the first dose of treatment. _"Before I change my mind."_

Lena approaches once more, unintentionally holding her breath as she entered the black mist to grab him once again. Luckily, there was no pain on her end. He didn't even attempt to hold her in place, either. She huffs once, pulling him up to where she could support her own weight and his with ease. She quickly takes him to the Intensive Care Unit, where she removes most of his upper body armor, attaching the EKG monitor to his torso. Lena exhales once she has done this, satisfied that this could be completed without much fuss. She meets his gaze briefly, before Gabriel turns the other way to advert his. He attempts to open his mouth to say something to her, but all that escapes are labored breaths and a groan of agony.

He's tired, he wants to be left alone for now. She grants his wish with a solemn nod and a whispered apology before joining Angela in the infirmary.

"Is his injury serious?" She asks, watching as McCree attempts to wince away from Angela and her medical tools.

"Not really. The bullet just grazed him. Just…treating him for the usual, is all." She places the last bandage across his cheek before withdrawing her equipment back to the counter where she retrieved it from. "All done. How's Gabriel holding up after the treatment?"

"I…have him hooked up to the monitors. He has somewhat of a heartbeat…not much, though. He's out of it for the meantime, so we're headed in the right direction it seems."

"That's good progress in such a short time…I'm happy something's going right."

McCree shuffles slowly off the examination table, working his leg before taking a full step. He makes his way over to Lena, who slowly drifted off into her own thoughts. "Well, never thought he'd hold up his end. Nor did I think it would be this easy."

"…Huh?" McCree's sudden statement shakes her from her stupor.

"Walk with me for a bit."

They both walk onto the deck of the watchpoint, Lena being the first to take a breath before allowing her mind to wander once more. There was so much to do...she unintentionally picked up two extra bodies, one whom she believed dead along with Gabriel. Sombra was still a wildcard…although, she was accompanying Gabriel, but she wasn't sure if she had malicious intentions yet. And Hanzo was another predicament…she managed to get him here and to align with her cause, but where did that leave the bad blood between him and Genji? They desperately needed to reconcile. Inner turmoil would only give Talon a further advantage.

"…There's so much to do, and not enough time to do it. I'm beginning to get worried, Jesse."

"Well, look at it this way—" He pauses, putting a cigar in his mouth and lighting it. He inhales once then exhales the thick smoke. "You got one more ally to help you…that's one less Talon has access to. Do what you can Lena, but don't _overdo_ it. That's what we're here for."

She chuckles, laying her head against his shoulder.

"I know. I know…"


End file.
